430 - Mr. Stephens on the 



Now all the publications of this country, taken collectively, do 

 not enumerate as British, « tenth part of the species described by 

 Meigen. In Stewart's Elements of Natural History there are only 

 32 described, and in Turton's Translation of the Systema Naturae 

 39 indicated, as natives of Britain ; but as the compiler of the 

 former work notices 5 that are not mentioned by the translator of 

 the latter, and Turton introduces 12 that are not in Stewart, in 

 the two works there are consequently 44: to these Samouelle has 

 added the references of 2 others, and Curtis has described and 

 figured 1 more, and registered a second, making in all 48,* which 

 appears to he the total number as yet stated to inhabit the British 

 Isles ; the few species figured by Donovan and Harris, being ar- 

 ranged amongst those described by Stewart and Turton. It must, 

 notwithstanding, be added, that the translation of the last-men- 

 tioned author will enable the student of British Entomology to 

 ascertain the greater portion of those indigenous species, which are 

 "described by Fabricius, but the work itself does not indicate more 

 than above stated, as inhabitants of this Island. 



For several years past, I have successfully attended to the col- 

 lection of these fragile and extraordinary Insects, and have been 

 highly gratified to find, not only that my native country is extremely 

 rich in this family ; but that we possess several species, and many 

 genera which are not mentioned by Meigen, Latreille, or others, 

 the characters of which I propose, at some future period, to pub- 

 lish, for the benefit of those persons who are disposed to follow my 

 steps; at present I shall content myself by stating, that my cabi- 

 net contains 419 indigenous species, exclusive of some very inter- 

 esting varieties, and that I know about 20 preserved in other 

 collections, that are desiderata with me, and that new species are 

 constantly presenting themselves. 



I shall now devote a few remarks to the genera Culex and 



* Since writing the above, the last named author has published a descrip- 

 tion and figure of Limnobia ocdlaris from my collection, and in his remarlis 

 upon the genus, he observes, " that there are at least 50 species of Limnobia 

 in our cabinets ;" which information was principally obtained from an exa- 

 mination of mine, in which are 47 species, exclusive of Pcdicia rivosa ( Limnobia 

 rivosa, Meig.)— Dec. 1. 1824. 



