PREFACE. 



DARLINGTON 

 PUBLIC LIBRARY, 



Anyone commencing the study of Britisli 

 Beetles (and especially the isolated student) 

 cannot fail to have experienced a great difficulty 

 in ascertaining the names of the specimens he 

 has collected. Stephens' " Manual of British 

 Coleoptera," the last work professing to give 

 descriptions of all the British species, was puh- 

 lished in 1839, and for descriptions of the very 

 numerous species found since that time to inhabit 

 these islands, it is necessarv to consult scattered 

 notices (in many cases very difficult to obtain), 

 the result being that the beginner is compelled to 

 allow his specimens to lie aside unnamed until he 

 can meet with a more advanced student. It is 

 true that if he possess a knowledge of Latin, 

 German and French his case is better, as he can 



