Ixxiv 



late honoured associate Wollaston, yields its unexpected tribute 

 of new forms by the score — forms so anomalous, especially in 

 the genus Bemhidium and m the Cossonidce and Anthrihidce, that 

 their discovery introduces quite a new element into our studies. 

 I may say the same of the Sandwich Islands, the Coleoptera of 

 which are now being investigated seriously for the first time by 

 the Eev. T. Blackbm-n. Already some dozens of new forms have 

 been discovered, whose relationships to those of other parts of the 

 world form a most intricate problem. What has thus been done 

 in the last two or three years in two Oceanic Islands, like 

 St. Helena and Oahu of the Sandwich group, will surely be 

 repeated in scores of other islands of the same class, whenever 

 they shall be visited by intelligent and industrious collectors. 

 Thus here, as in tropical regions and in Austra,lia, new material 

 arrives faster than it can be digested ; and Entomologists limit 

 themselves for the present to describing it. Much as they have 

 been discussed, the natm-e and origin of the Faunas of Oceanic 

 Islands have not yet been satisfactorily explained ; and after the 

 general principles have been settled, the modifications will have 

 to be studied which have produced the specialities of each separate 

 case. But when these principles are settled, they will throw 

 more light on the origin of species and the adaptation of their 

 structure and instmcts to new conditions than any other branch 

 of investigation. 



I have entered into these details with a view to explain, in 

 some manner, wdiy all om- principal systematists confine 

 themselves, as I believe they do, more strictly than was formerly 

 the case to the mere description of species and genera. But I do 

 not excuse them ; on the contrary, I think it is a loss to science 

 that systematists — or those who devote that minute study to 

 structure and relationship which is requu-ed to enable them to 

 classify and describe thek collections — fail to give us those 

 general results of their observations which w^ould throw light on 

 the genetic relations of forms. This subject lies at the fomidation 

 of the greatest problem in Biological science, — that of evolution, — 

 and none but sj'Stematists, such as I have just described, are in 

 a position to work it out. 



All om^ knowledge of natural affinity in Biology, or the true 

 blood-relationship of forms, has been due to the labours of 

 systematists and " species-describers " not always consciously, 



