Geodephagous Coleoptera of Japan. 209 



Temperate facies or affinities are peculiar, as far as 

 we at present know, to Japan, and those which 

 are not peculiar are as often Chinese species (found 

 in the regions of the lower Yang-tsze, or more to 

 the south) as they are East Siberian. The strong 

 tropical element which constitutes the most striking 

 feature of the Japanese insect fauna is confirmed by 

 the new material ; 30 of the now-known Japanese 

 genera of Geodephaga being found elsewhere only in the 

 tropics, chiefly in the Indo-Malayan region. The 

 Palaearctic relations have, on the other hand, been 

 strengthened by the discovery of several genera highly 

 characteristic of that great province, such as Elaphrus, 

 Leistus, Ophonus, Sto7nis, Cillenum, Lymnmim, and 

 Blechrus, besides the somewhat less strictly Palaearctic 

 Pogonus, Broscosoma, Metabletus, and Demetrias. 



The peculiarly Palaearctic (or rather North-Temperate) 

 genera found in Japan are fewer in number than the 

 Tropical, being 18 only, but of the remaining genera of 

 the fauna, 58 in number, the contained species are 

 more nearly related to North-Temperate forms of the 

 same genera than to those of other parts of the world ; 

 this may be said to be the case in Carabus, Anchomeniis, 

 Harpalus, and many others, though in such genera as 

 Cicindela, Chlcenius, Lebia, and others, the specific 

 tropical element is undoubtedly of importance. 



The prevailing character of the Japanese fauna in the 

 great section of the Coleoptera to which this paper refers 

 is, however, North Temperate. This is to be expected 

 from the latitude and geographical position of the 

 islands, but the large proportion of tropical genera and 

 species is most remarkable, and forms a problem in 

 geographical distribution of great interest and difficulty. 

 Some of the species are at present known only from 

 distant countries like Java, Burmah, and Assam — not 

 allied, but identical species ; others, including two 

 genera (Taicona and Amphimenes) , are peculiar, as far 

 as we know, to Japan. Whether this element in the 

 fauna was derived directly from the distant south by 

 oceanic currents, or via the Philippines, Formosa, and 

 the Loo Choo Archipelago, or again via the mainland of 

 China, it is waste of time to discuss in the present state 

 of our knowledge. Tropical forms of other groups of 

 animals are known to range into temperate latitudes in 

 Eastern Asia, but most of the tropical species of Japanese 



