Geodephogous Coleoptera of Japan. 221 
which is included between the parallels of 31° and 44° 
north. A tract of land measured off in Western Europe 
in the same latitudes Avould have its northern extremity at 
Bordeaux and its southern at the Atlas Mountains. How- 
ever, as the climate of the eastern side of northern con- 
tinents is colder than than that of the western side, and 
the Isotherm of 50° passing through the centre of Eng- 
land and the north of Nipon, it Avould be fair to give the 
European term of the comparison a more northerly ex- 
tension, and compare Japan with a western area extend- 
ing, say from the South of England to Tangier. 
The number of genera of Geodephaga found in this 
part of AVestern Europe is ninety-six ; the number com- 
mon to Western Em*ope and Japan only forty-four, nearly 
all of which are universally distributed, or at least over 
the temperate zones of the earth. There ai'C no fewer 
than fifty-two (or more than one half,) West European 
genera of Carahidce unknown to Japan, and vice versa, 
thirty-eight Japanese genera are unknown to Westeni 
Europe. I think this is conclusive that there is no identity 
between the two Faunas, and that their origin is, therefore, 
not to be explained by the same set of causes. 
There is a rather closer connection between the Japanese 
Geodephagous Fauna and that of Eastern Siberia; but 
there is an equally close, perhaps closer connection between 
it and the Fauna of Eastern tropical Asia. Of the eighty- 
four Japanese genera, twenty-one are elsewhere found only 
between the tropics, chiefly in Asia. It is striking to find 
in Japan some of the most curious Geodephagous genera of 
Birmah and India, such as Eustra, Bothynoptera, Crosso- 
f/lossa, Dicranoncus, and others, which have not yet been 
found even in China. Other tropical genera also repre- 
sented in Japan are Colpodes, Drimostoyna, Trigonotoma, 
Triplogenius, Calleida. On the other hand, the more 
boreal of the European genera extending throughout 
Siberia, and some of them through North America, are 
absent from Japan, such as Notlophilus, Elaplirus, Ble- 
tliisa, Pelophila, Leistus, Loricera, Miscodera, Stomis, 
and many others. The most characteristic genera inhabit- 
ing Western Europe in similar latitudes to Japan are also 
wholly absent, such as Siagona, Broscus, Licinus, Aristus, 
Ditovius, Carterus, Acinopus, Ophonus, Olisthopus, 
Molojis, Pogonus, and others. 
Professor Asa Gray, the eminent botanist, announced 
many years ago in a treatise on the Japanese Flora, that 
