2 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ENTOMOLOGY OF 

 IRELAND. 



By John A. Powek, M.D. 



The insect Fauna of England, Wales, and Scotland, and 

 even that of the adjacent insular appendages, has of late 

 years been so assiduously worked out by very numerous and 

 energetic explorers of every kind, that apparently com- 

 paratively little remains to be done as to the discovery of 

 new^ species of Lepidopiera, Coleoptera, or Hemiplera ; 

 although it is true that a persevering search does still turn 

 up a few in the course of the year. The Lepidoptera seem 

 nearly exhausted. The Coleoptera and Hemiplera afford a 

 better chance, especially the latter, vi^hich have only been 

 zealously investigated during the last iew years, and that by 

 a comparatively small number of entomologists, v\'ho have 

 produced a list of species far more extensive than was at first 

 expected. The Hotnoptera, though more limited in number, 

 afford us the best field of discovery ; but as yet there are very 

 few workers, and we have scarcely even a satisfactory 

 catalogue, much less description, of those which are known. 

 The list will no doubt be very considerably extended when 

 they have been farther investigated. 



It is lo be hoped that the smaller chance of success which 

 now attends the mere collector of the Coleoptera, of gratifying 

 his ambition to find " something new," will induce him to 

 devote increased attention to the infinitely more useful and 

 scientific study of their habits and life-histories, — a point in 

 which the lepidopterists at present far surpass the coleopterists; 

 though it is true that the habits of many of the Coleoptera 

 render the investigation much more difficult. There seems, 

 however, to have been a decided and healthy movement in 

 this respect within the last few years in this country, and. still 

 more in America ; and we have many most elaborately worked- 

 out life-histories, more particularly of those insects which are 

 hurtful lo the crops and food, not omitting that great bugbear 

 of all — "him of Colorado;" yet still very much more is 

 required, and a grand field is in this respect open to the real 

 entomologist. 



In Ireland the Flora is, 1 believe, well worked out, like that 

 of Great Britain ; and few, if any, discoveries remain to be 

 made in it; but our knowledge of the insect Fauna is in 

 every branch most imperfect. We have a few, for the most 

 part local, lists of Lepidopiera^ few or none of Coleoptera, 



