NEW BRITISH SPECIES, ETC., IN 1864. 39 



been considered very nearly exhaustive as regards our 

 species. 



It is to be hoped that this may be productive of further 

 novelties from the midland counties; from which, and in- 

 deed from the eastern and western parts of the kingdom, 

 there has long been no increase to our lists adequate to the 

 extent of hunting-ground. 



It may indeed be considered that there are large tracts as 

 yet positively untouched ; visits are made in the summer 

 months to distant localities, and many good things are cap- 

 tured, but the i-eal resources of a district can only be deve- 

 loped by the constant work of resident Coleopterists. 



As far as I am aware, nearly all of the 28 species above 

 mentioned were either determined or taken by metropolitan 

 Entomologists. This is scarcely as it should be. We have 

 no lack of good collecting material in a great many parts of 

 Great Britain (though generally gathered together in the 

 larger towns), but there seems to be a general antipathy to 

 book work. It is not to be expected that entomological 

 works are within the reach of all ; still the money that is 

 given without a scruple for rare insects would, in most cases, 

 be better expended upon books of reference. Let a few 

 good provincial Coleopterists, in widely separated localities, 

 select each a particular family, obtaining only the standard 

 works relating thei-eto, and I am persuaded that the Cata- 

 logue of British Coleoptera will be rapidly increased. 



As a general rule, our chief novelties are sujjplied from 

 Scotland and the London district, and in the* present year 

 we have eight new species from the former (with very many 

 more to come), and nine from the latter. As to the fancied 

 superiority of the London district, I believe there are many 

 other localities quite as good, and several much better; the 



