president's^ address — SECTION D. 87 



passing over to New Zealand, whilst one (^Danais erippusj 

 is of world-wide distribution. Xenica, which is an Australian 

 genus with 9 species most largely found in the S.E. part of 

 the conthient, is well represented by 4 species, of which one 

 is peculiar to the island which has also 3 peculiar species of 

 LyccBna, a genus including the forms commonly known as 

 " blues," and characteristic of the Palaearctic and Nearctic 

 regions, with species in N. India, S. Africa, Chili and New 

 Zealand. 



We now come to a point of considerable interest. Taking 

 the genera peculiar to Australia, we find that the greatest 

 actual number is possessed by Queensland and the least by 

 Tasmania. By far the greatest proportional number (ex- 

 cluding Queensland which is naturally rich in immigrant 

 forms) is possessed by West Australia and the least by S. 

 Australia and Tasmania. In the case of the latter only 2 out 

 of its 10 genera are Australian, whilst iu W. Australia there 

 are no fewer than 6 out of 11. 



The butterfiy fauna of Tasmania is thus poor in quantity 

 and, so far as genera are concerned, most largely composed 

 of those not peculiar to Australia whilst at the same time it 

 has, doubtless owing to its isolation, developed a certain 

 number of peculiar species. 



(2.) Coleoptera. — Amongst many who have worked at this 

 group we may perhaps especially mention the names of 

 Messrs. Masters, Blackburn, Macleay, Ollitf, and Sloane. 

 To the first named we owe a valuable catalogue of Australian 

 and Tasmanian forms, whilst during the past few years Mr. 

 Blackburn has added immensely to our knowledge of the 

 Coleopteran fauna of the various colonies and especially of 

 8. Australia. 



On the continent of Australia and Tasmania there are at 

 present known to exist the representatives of 67 families of 

 which 44 are found in Tasmania. These contain* 1644 

 genera of which 298 are found in Tasmania, The total 

 number of species is 7847 of which Tasmania has 521. Of 

 the genera, 42, containing 395 species, are peculiar to 

 Tasmania as compared with the mainland. Taking the 

 different families we may note the following points of 

 importance : — 



• These and other numbers are computed from published records available 

 up to November, 1891. The numbers for Tasmania would be not inconsider- 

 ably increased were all forma collected described and it is important that this 

 should be done. 



