428 Mr. T. Vernon Wollaston on the 
ticularly extensive have been carefully overhauled, — for 
amongst the Cossoni, for instance, a very large number 
have passed under my eye ; but since I am not desirous 
of undertaking to determine critically their exact specific 
titles (which would be rather the work of a separate 
monograph), I have thought it safer to leave them un- 
noticed in my general list, — lest a possible misquotation of 
the names might result in confusion as regards the nomen- 
clature. 
To those Coleopterists who have granted me the loan of 
their specimens, in this somewhat difficult task, I would 
desire to return my warmest thanks. To Mr. Pascoe 
and Mr. Fry my acknowledgments are especially due, — 
both of whom have, Avith characteristic lilDerality, placed 
their large and valuable Cossonideous collections at my 
entire disposal. It is indeed to the former that I am in- 
debted for many of the most remarkable types which I 
have been thus enabled to examine, — his series including, 
in addition*to some cm-ions modifications from Australia, 
a large ])roportion of the species Avhich were obtained by 
Mr. Wallace in the islands of the Malayan Archipelago ; 
whilst the rich material of ISIr. Fry in the number of its 
South-American forms stands probably unrivalled. To 
INIr. Janson also I must express my peculiar obligations, 
the Avhole of his examples having been generously entrusted 
to me without reserve ; and my worthy friend John Gray, 
Esq., and Dr. Sharp have likcAvise afforded much valuable 
aid in communicating all the members of the family that 
they respectively possess. The former in fact owns the 
most complete set of European Cossonids with Avhich I am 
acquainted; whilst the latter has contributed, amongst 
numerous other genera (many of which had been trans- 
mitted, lately, by Mr. Lawson, fi-om New Zealand), the 
very rare and minute Alaocyha cariniilata of Mediter- 
ranean latitudes. ]\I. lioelofs, also, of Brussels, has had 
the kindness to send for inspection his unique type of the 
Georrliynchus Mortetil, from INIonte Video ; and I need 
not here allu'de again to the interesting material, amassed 
in Japan, of wdiich Mr. G. Lewis has granted me the 
loan, — it having formed the subject for a separate enume- 
ration in a late -Xumber of the Entomological Societj^'s 
Transactions. 
As regards the method of arrangement, it has been my 
endeavour to arrive, so far as is possible, at a natural one. 
Had I been content to adopt a purely artificial plan, the 
