PRESIDENT S ADDRESS — SECTION D. 



<)3 



collected. Australia and Tasmania together are now credited 

 with 216 genera and 587 species, of which the latter has 34 

 genera and 43 species, there being 4 genera and 23 species 

 peculiar. 



Tlie Ceramhycidce are divided into three sub-fainilie^, tlie 

 Prionides, Ceranibycides, and Lainiides, and in ditierent 

 regions the proportions of" the three groups vary. Speaking 

 generally, it may be said that the Ceranibycides increase in 

 temperate and decrease in tropical parts whil.-t the reverse is 

 true ofthe Lamiides. The Prionides again are jjroportionately 

 more numerous in temperate parts. Thus, according to 

 Wallace's calculation, the Ceranibycides are more numerous 

 than the Lainiides in the Nearctic and Palearctic regions in 

 the proportion of 12 to 9. The same author gives the pro- 

 portion ofthe Ceranibycides and Lamiides in the Oriental and 

 Ethiopian regions as 6 to I I and in the Australian hs 5 to 6". 

 Now, if we exclude the Austro-^Vlalay portion of the 

 Australian region — that i> a large jiortion of its tropical parts — 

 and take simply Australia and Tasmania, we find that tiie 

 proportion is reversed and becomes 5 to 4. The following 

 table indicates the proportional representation of the three 

 sub-families in the various parts of the Australian region : — 



We thus see that whilst in the northern region, that is the 

 more tropical, the Lamiides preponderate ; as we pass south 

 into temperate parts the Ceranibycides gi'adually increase 

 until their maximum proportion 'is reached in Tasmania 

 where they form 76 and the Lamiides only 14 per cent. 

 Though the Prionides show no such regular increase towards 

 temperate parts, it is noticeable that they are most numerous 

 proportionately in Tasmania whilst it is worthy of note also 

 that the proportional distribution of the three sub-fiimilies in 



