OF WASHINGTON. 187 
specific identity with the arctic species. There is, therefore, in 
the Old World an abundance of distinct alpine forms, none of 
which are identical with North American species ; while we, on 
our high mountains, have but few, if any, alpine, but more arctic 
forms. 
Our knowledge of the distributions of the circumpolar Coleop- 
tera has in recent years greatly increased, and we are now enabled 
in most instances to distinguish those which are strictly circum- 
polar, i. <?., which occur in the Arctic or Boreal regions of the 
whole northern hemisphere, from those which are only partially 
circumpolar, i.e., which are either common to the boreal portions 
of Europe and eastern North America or to western North America 
(Alaska, British Columbia), and a larger or smaller portion of 
northern Asia. Among the strictly circumpolar Coleoptera the 
predaceous families predominate over the phytophagous families ; 
the Carabidce, Dytiscidce, Staphylinidce and Coccinellidce are 
well represented, the Chrysomelidce and Rhynchophora are 
tolerably well, and the Cerambycidce and Elateridce are poorly 
represented. The Buprestidce are absent although this family 
contains numerous boreal species in every region. The phyto- 
phagous Scarabceidcc do not, or barely extend into the arctic 
regions ; the coprophagous Scarabceidce {Aphodius} are well 
represented there, still none of them (with the exception of 
Aphodius rufipes, which doubtfully belongs here) is on the list 
of circumpolar Coleoptera. This fact is the more remarkable 
since, if we go further south, we find a decided ability and dis- 
position on the part of the Old World Aphodii to extend their 
range by introduction or natural spread from one faunal region to 
another. 
SPECIES NOT BELONGING TO THE CIRCUMPOLAR FAUNA. This 
division comprises endemic species of probably intratropical origin, 
which have spread, by natural dispersion, into the temperate zone 
of North America. I have already spoken of my inability to com- 
pile, with the means at my command, a satisfactory list of these 
species, and I am unwilling to offer any further remarks thereon 
beyond stating that from this list all those numerous species ought 
to be excluded which belong to the semitropical fauna of Central 
America and which extend into the extreme southern part of 
North America, forming a sharply-defined colony in a narrow 
