OBSERVATIONS INTRODUCTORY TO THE CATALOGUE, ETC. 277 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Previous to tlie publication of Mr. Selby's ^^ Fauna of Twizell^^ 



in 1839, tlie notices of Coleopterous Insects, found in tlie counties 



of Northumberland and Durham, are extremely meagre. Wallis, 



in his ^^ Natural History and Antiquities of Northumberland,''* 



published in 1769, remarks, that "insects and reptiles are 



numerous, and might fill a volume. I shall only take notice of such 



as are most remarkable for beauty and curiosity, and shall point 



out, in my way, their culinary, medical, tinctorial, and other uses," 



(vol. i., 347.) However, he appears to have paid most attention 



to the Lepidoptera,, of which he enumerates a considerable number, 



for when he comes to speak of Coleoptera, he remarks (p. 364), 



" Yagipennia, or insects with case-wings, of beauty or curiosity, 



are not observed with us in any great variety." He enumerates 



only four species, viz., Melolontha vulgaris, Aphodius fimetarius, 



Rhyncliites Betulce, and Anohium striatum. One of these, JR. 



Betulas^ is doubtful. In Hogg's " Natural History of tlie vicinity 



of Stockton^'' published in 1827, as an Appendix to Brewster's 



"History and Antiquities^'' of that place, fourteen species of beetles 



are enumerated, none of them, v/ith the exception of Malachius 



cewews, of any rarity. '}>Iy. '^Qlhfs ^^ Fauna of Twizell^' published 



in Vol. III. of the "Annals of Natural History,'"' enumerates 



" upwards of 600 species of Coleoptera.'" With the exception of 



a few doubtful synonymes, this list has been cited throughout. 



To promote the objects of the present Catalogue, the respected 



author has kindly forwarded a series of the Braclielytra, from his 



estate, including most of the species that he has enumerated. 



The only other writer, whose remarks have been published in a 



collected form, is the Rev, George Ornsby, to whose "Sketches of 



Durham'' (1846), is appended, with other Catalogues, a "List of 



some of the Insects found in the county." Of the 194 species of 



beetles mentioned, about half-a-dozen have not since been met 



with, and, consequently, stand on his authority. 



VOL. XL PT. II. 2 M 



