INTRODUCTION. 
In this Volume twenty-two groups of Rhynchophora, all belonging to the Subfamily 
Curculionine, the Sitonina to the Cryptorrhynchina inclusive, are dealt with. The 
classification adopted is mainly that of Lacordaire, modified to some extent to conform 
with the system followed by Leconte and Horn, who were the first to detect the 
real structural differences between the Otiorrhynchine and the Curculionine proper. 
The ‘ Munich Catalogue’ gives but little idea of the vast number of Rhynchophora, 
especially as regards the group Cryptorrhynchina, inhabiting Tropical America, and it 
will already be seen that they are probably more than twice as numerous in species 
as the Phytophaga in this region. Gemminger and Harold (1871-6) give, for the 
whole world, Rhynchophora [Curculionide, Anthribide, Brenthide, and Scolytide | 
11,591 species, and for the Phytophaga [Chrysomelide, Hispide, and Cassidide] 10,196 
species. In this Volume alone, one of four or five that will be required, no fewer 
than 1365 species are enumerated ; whereas the total number of Central-American 
Phytophaga (inclusive of Hispide and Cassidide) as given in this work (1892-4) 
is 2619. In Schénherr’s ‘Genera et Species Curculionidum,’ concluded in 1845, 
scarcely any species are recorded from Central America proper, 7. ¢. from between 
Mexico and the South-American mainland, and it is therefore not surprising that a 
very large proportion of the species enumerated are new. A few of those described, 
however, will no doubt prove to be synonymous with South-American forms when the 
types can be compared. The identification of closely allied obscure species from 
description alone, from specimens from such distant localities as Mexico and Brazil 
respectively, is obviously so uncertain that it is preferable to describe such forms as 
new, notwithstanding the risk of adding to the synonymy. The genera of the group 
Cryptorrhynchina still remain in inextricable confusion, and little more has been done 
