xviii INTRODUCTION. 



seen, a . is placed after its number in the genus (e. g. Chrysomela 

 Sparshallii, No. 2299.) ; to those which I have merely seen pre- 

 served in cabinets, a , is similarly attached (as to Cicindela Sylvi- 

 cola. No. 4.) ; a : to such as have been seen alive by me (as Drypta 

 cinarginata, No. 7.); and a ; to those insects which have actually 

 been captured by myself (as Cicindela sylvatica. No. 1 .*). The un- 

 certain species are placed beneath those of which they may be va- 

 rieties, and arc knuwn by having their names within [ ] (as Dro- 

 mius notatus. No. 20, which may prove to be a variety of No. 19.). 

 Such insects of which I have obtained foreign specimens alone, for 

 the sake of illustration are indicated by a | ; and such as I do not 

 possess, byaf; and ewn/co/Zeciio/i in which such species are respec- 

 tively contained, is referred to so far as in my power ; distinguishing 

 the instances where I have seen the insects themselves, by printing 

 the possessor's name in Italics ; and where I have not seen them, in 

 Roman characters (e. g. Anisoplia Donovani, No. 1196.). The 

 specimens of uncertain British origin f are inserted in their proper 



* 'Wliat merit there can possibly be in being the discoverer of a new 

 species, I am totally at a loss to comprehend, knowing from experience that 

 such an occurrence is purely a matter of chance, and that as many valuable 

 acquisitions have been made by the mere ignorant mechanic as by the most 

 assiduous entomologist ; hence the absurdity of attempting to indicate such 

 species as appear to have been detected by myself, which would answer no 

 good purpose, but probably tend to mislead ; e. g. in a recent compilation, 

 grossly infringing upon my copyright, the compiler assumes that he dis- 

 covered, i7iter alia, the four following insects placed consecutively : — Chlas- 

 nius sulcicoUis, Licini Silphoides and depressus, and Badister cephalotes. 

 Of these insects, the first, which is unique as British, was found by Mr. 

 Charles Curtis : tlie second was taken by the late Mr. Swainson before he 

 left London, some thirty years ago ; two specimens, captured at Dover, 

 were in the collection of the late Rev. J. Lyon, which was sold by auction 

 in 1S15, and two in that of Mr. Spratt, purchased by Dr. Leach in 1813; 

 the last four specimens are now in the British Museum. Licinus depressus 

 was taken near Hull, as it appears by Mr. Marsham's MSS., in 1S07, by 

 Mr. Watson ; and Badister cephalotes was found by Mr. Haworth, I be- 

 lieve, in the same neighbourhood about the same time, and shortly after by 

 the Rev, W. Kirby in Kent, The above dates contrasted with those given 

 in the places cited in pages 14 and 15 of the following Catalogue, Nos. 97, 

 100, 102 and 105, fully justify the position I have above advanced. 



■f It may not be irrelevant in this place to add a few words upon Pa- 

 pilio Europome of Huwortli, not of Esper. Of this species it has been ob- 

 served, with a total disregard to facts, " It is not a British insect, those 

 described and even figured as such being the P. Philodice of Godart, a 

 North American species, of which tlierc is no testimony of a single speci- 

 men having been taken in Britain, nor, it may be added, in Europe : the 

 old examples in the cabinets of tlie late Mr. Francillon, and Mr. Swain- 

 son, and two in Mr. Plastcad's, were no doubt placed there as represen- 

 tatives of C. riyale." Upon tliis paragraph I must remark, that Mr. 

 Marsham declared to me that evert/ insect in his British cabinet had been 

 captured in Britain ; and a memorandum in a Catalogue of Mr. Francil- 

 lon's collection, which I once saw in the possession of B. Clark, Esq., 

 stated thai "every hisect in tliat collection, except those set in the German 



