92 



endeavour to explain, by reference to some of the CEningen 

 fossils, the grounds on which such conclusions may be based. 



Professor Lacordaire reminds us that insects in general, and 

 the Coleoptera in particular, may be divided, according to the 

 nature of their food, into two classes, viz., into Carnivorous species 

 and Ilerbiwrons species. The proportion Avhicli one class bears 

 to the other varies in different countries, and according to M. 

 Lacordaire the number of Carnivorous species, in proportion to 

 the number of Herbivorous species, gradually decreases as we 

 approach the Equator. 



M. Oustalet, quoting Lacordaire, states that at the present 

 day the proportion of Carnivorus species of Coleoptera to the 

 total number of species of that order in the undermentioned 

 countries is as follows, viz. : — 



In the New World. In the Old Wohld. 



In North America : 1 : 4-01 | In Siberia : 1 : 2-90 

 ,, South ,, : 1 : O-o'J I ,, Europe : 1 : 3-87 



,, Kio Janeiro : 1 : 22-ol | ,, Africa : 1 : 5.55 



Now at Qiluingen the Carnivorous Coleoptera are to the 

 total number of species of that order, in the proportion of 

 1 : 4-62, and to the Herhivonnis species of that order, in the pro- 

 portion of 1 : 3-62; that is, they are rarer in this locality than in 

 Europe at the present day, although they are much more 

 numerous than they are at the present day in tropical countries, 

 especially in South America. 



The fact that the Carnirorous species are in such a decided 

 minority to the total number of species of the order compared 

 with the proportion existing between the two classes at the 

 present day, stamps the fossil fauna of (Eningen with even a more 

 southerly chai-acter than one would have expected from the 

 llora. From this it may be safely assumed that the climate of 

 this part of Europe during the Upper Miocene period approached 

 much nearer to that of the Tropics than at the present day ; and 

 this assumption is materially strengthened by a consideration of 

 the present Geographical distribution of many of the genera and 

 . species then inhabiting (Eningen. 



