362 Mr. P. J. Selby on the Fauna of Twizell 



tied, enumerates upwards of .six hundred species, being in the 

 proportion of nearly one sixth to the whole of the British co- 

 leoptera contained in Stephens's Nomenclature, a list of tole- 

 rable extent, taking the small size of the district and its north- 

 ern latitude into consideration. As might be expected, we 

 find the list to be most deficient in those forms whose pa- 

 bulum either in the larva or perfect state is wanting, or only 

 to be found in very diminished quantity within the district, 

 or in such insects as are restricted within distribution to the 

 southern and warmer parts of the kingdom. Thus of the Lon- 

 gicornes, whose food in the larva state consists of wood in 

 progress of decay, we only possess three species, two of which, 

 Lejjtura 4-fasciata and Rhagium inquisitor, live upon the de- 

 cayed trunks and roots of the birch, one of our indigenous 

 trees ; the other, the Rhagium bifasciatum, prefers the rotten 

 fibre of the Scotch fir (Pinus sylvestris), though it is sometimes 

 met with in the rotten sap or white wood of the oak. No ex- 

 ample of the Buprestidce has yet been detected, and the same 

 may be added in regard to the Tenebrionidce, Melandryadce*, 

 jEde??ieridce, Pyrochroidce, and a few other families. Of the 

 Pselaphidce only one species has yet been met with ; but as the 

 habits of these curious insects are very retired, others in all pro- 

 bability remain to be added, and this we also take to be the 

 case with the Tac1iyporid<E, Stenidce, and OmalidcE, in which 

 our list is comparatively very deficient. In the first division, 

 or Geodephagous beetles, we have species of the majority of the 

 genera, and of those that are wanting some are inhabitants of 

 maritime districts, or restricted by something peculiar in their 

 ceconomy to confined localities. The same may be said of 

 the Hydradephagous division, as well as of the Phylhydrida 

 and Necrophaga. Of the Varicomes or Helocera, examples 

 of the genera Cistela, Onthqphilus and Hister only have been 

 met with, and among the Lamellicomes we possess no repre- 

 sentatives of the Lucanidce, Scarabeoidcsf, Trogidw, Dunas- 

 tydae or Cetoniadce J. Of the Rhincophorce or Curculionidce our 



* Lagrla hirta, belonging to this group, is common upon the coast near 

 Bamburgh. 



f JEgialia globosa occurs plentifully upon the sea coast. 



% Cetonia aurata has however been met with in nearly the same parallel, 

 having been taken by Dr. Greville in Galloway. 



