the Coleoptera of the Maltese Islands. 385 
One of the most noteworthy features of the islands is 
the want of trees. There must have been a time at some 
remote epoch in which trees and shrubs were not so scarce, 
and a certain amount of “bush,” of which traces are still 
left, must have existed. At present the only indigenous 
trees and shrubs to be seen in some of the valleys just 
mentioned, not to speak of the rarer species, are the 
following :—Crategus oxyacantha and azarolus, on which 
feeds Lhamphus pulicarius, Herbst; Populus alba, Salix 
alba and pedicillata, from which we obtained Smicronyx 
cyaneus, Gyll., a few Quercus lex, Pistacia lentiscus, Rosma- 
rinus officinalis, Vitex agnus-castus, Tamarix africana, 
(these two latter in Gozo), Euphorbia dendroides, Erica 
multiflora, Rhamnus oleoides, and Cineraria maritima, and 
Inula erithmoides on rocks near the sea. Rubus fruticosus, 
Smilax aspera, Loniceru vmplexa, Clematis cirrhosa, Hedera 
helix, and Asparagus acutifolius represent the climbing 
shrubs. Of cultivated trees, the Carob, Ceratonia siliqua, 
is generally spread, and with its dark evergreen foliage 
and low spreading branches marks in a characteristic 
way every Maltese landscape. Fig trees (Ficus carica) in 
several varieties and prickly pears (Opuntia vulgaris) are 
also widely grown by the walls in fields and country 
tenements. ‘The cultivation of orange trees, which used 
to yield the finest and most luscious fruit in the world, is 
at present much neglected, on account of the scale-insect 
disease, and of the extensive free importation of oranges 
to Malta from Sicily and elsewhere. Vines are very 
abundant, and so are almond trees in some places, but 
though vineyards are to be met with in some places, 
woods, parks, and extensive groves are absolutely 
wanting. 
The obvious result of this want of trees on Coleoptera, as 
may be seen in the list which follows, is the small number 
of Longicorns, other tree-borers and dendrophilous species. 
Considering that rivers, lakes, or any other permanent 
water-courses or open reservoirs are absolutely wanting, the 
presence of water-beetles may appear a puzzle. They are 
certainly not very numerous, but until the pools or 
streamlets at the bottom of the valleys dry up, the collector 
may successfully work for them among the Charx, Nitellz, 
and the fresh-water Al/gx which then grow, or under 
stones at the water’s edge. Chadwick’s Reservoir or Wied 
el Klia, Fiddian, Marsa, Jneina, S. Martin, Boschetto, 
