230 [October, 



SOME UNDESCRIBED SPECIES OF TROOOPHLCEUS, WITH A NEW 



GENUS. 



BT D. SHAEP, M.A., F.E.S. 



A species of Trogophloeus was discovered by Mr. J. H. Keys at 

 Plymouth early this year, and as it was very distinct from any of our 

 British forms, it was sent to M. Fauvel for his opinion. M. Fauvel 

 replied that he considered it to be an introduced insect, and the same 

 as a New Zealand species, T. unicolor (Fauvel, in litt.). Subsequently, 

 additional specimens have been secured by Mr. Keys and Dr. Came- 

 ron, and as Mr. Keys could not, on account of the circumstances 

 under which the insect was found and the freedom of the spot from 

 foreign intercourse, believe the insect to be a foreign one, he has 

 consulted me about it. 



M. Fauvel obtained examples of New Zealand Trogophloeus from 

 me, and as I have a small series of forms from the region I have 

 submitted them to an examination as careful as the limited extent of 

 the series and the condition of the specimens permitted, and herewith 

 submit the results. 



It will be seen that the New Zealand and English insects in 

 question belong to a new subgenus of Trogophloeus, and that this 

 subgenus is represented by more than one form in New Zealand ; also 

 that one of the New Zealand species is extremely similar to the insect 

 found at Plymouth by Mr, Keys — pronounced, indeed, by so competent 

 an authority as M. Fauvel as not merely similar but specifically 

 identical. Hence there is a strong presumption that the Plymouth 

 insect is really a form foreign to this country. 



I incline, however, to the opposite opinion, and to the conclusion 

 that we have here to do with two species almost identical in structure 

 and general characters, produced independently in the two Antipodes 

 of the world, but under very similar conditions. 



We have, however, at present such imperfect information that it 

 is impossible to pronounce a final opinion on so interesting a point. 

 I have, indeed, no positive knowledge that the New Zealand species 

 are of maritime habit, but conclude that they are so, merely because 

 their sculpture and the pubescence of their surface is such as we find 

 to exist in several other maritime Staphylinidce, Cnfius and Poly stoma, 

 e. g., even when found in widely different parts of the world. 



It is fairly certain that T. anglicanus (as I propose to call the 

 Plymouth insect) is now a native of this country, and as a possible 

 solution of its relationship with the New Zealand forms, it may be 



