Mr Wilson on the Distribution of Insects. 299 



to regard it as an alpine variety, the result of some peculiarity 

 of climate. 



Of Byrrhus aneus five specimens were taken beneath some 

 flat stones, on the southern descent to the Ferry of Kylestroem. 

 This species has been recently added to the British Fauna, and 

 was first taken near Newbattle House, in the county of Mid- 

 Lothian. We do not know whether it has yet been found in 

 England. It is well known in the north of Europe. 



Of the Geotrupidae, Geotriipes vernalis and lavis, both of 

 which are scarce species in most parts of Scotland, occurred ra- 

 ther frequently. G. stercorarius, which, throughout Britain, is 

 the most abundant, was comparatively scarce in Sutherland, 

 from which it may perhaps be presumed that its centre of do- 

 minion is to the south of Scotland, Phyllopertha hortieola, 

 which occurred in great profusion on sandy pastures near Kcol- 

 dale, and was not seen elsewhere in the county, exhibited a pe- 

 culiar variety of a greenish-black colour. 



Of Tridiius Jasciatus, an extremely rare insect, which, on 

 the Continent, is known to extend from the south of Russia, 

 through Siberia, and into Kamtschatka, a single specimen only 

 was found on the north bank of the Oikel. 



Ctenicerus tessellatus, one of the Elateridae, distinguished by 

 its pale scutellum, had not previously been found in Scotland, 

 and another of the same family, Campylus linearis, was new to 

 the northern parts of the country. 



Of the numerous "and difficult family of the Curculionidae, I 

 shall here mention only Otiorhynchus lavigatus, as an insect 

 which occurs occasionally at great heights. In Sutherland we 

 did not observe it, except on the sides of hills of no great eleva- 

 tion ; but, on another occasion, it was captured on the summit 

 of Ben-na-mac-dhui, the loftiest mountain in Scotland, at an 

 elevation of 4300 feet. 



Of the Longicornes, as might have been expected from ihe 

 almost total want of wood in Sutherland, the number noticed 

 was extremely small. Indeed Rhagium bifasciaturn afforded 

 the sole example of the tribe. 



Of the wenus Donacia several species were met with, not men- 

 tioned in the preceding catalogue. They presented some varia- 



