No. XV.— COLEOPTERA, LAMELLICORNIA AND ADEPHAGA. 



By Hugh Scott, M.A. (Cantab.), F.L.S., F.E.S., 



Curator in Entomology in the University of Cambridge. 



(With Plate 12 and 1 Text-figure.) 

 Read June 20th, 1912. 



This paper is an account of the Lamellicorn and Adephagous Coleoptera of the 

 islands of the Western Indian Ocean visited by the Percy Sladen Trust Expedition in 

 1905 and 1908 — 9 ; i.e. the Seychelles, the Chagos, the Amirantes, the Farquhar Group, 

 and Aldabra with the neighbouring islands of Astove, Assumption and Cosmoledo. It is 

 mainly the result of the study of the collections formed by that expedition. But 

 mention is also made of- those species which were found in these islands by earlier 

 collectors, and not by the Percy Sladen Trust Expedition ; these are included in 

 their proper systematic position in the present paper, so that it may be a complete 

 list of the known fauna of the islands up to date. The total number of Lamellicornia 

 and Adephaga known from these islands previous to the expedition was 32 species ; 

 this total is now increased to 55 species, and 9 of the additional 23 are new to 

 science. 



As regards the general nature of the fauna and affinities of the species, the 

 Lamellicornia and Adephaga are considered separately, a brief discussion of these 

 matters being placed at the beginnuig of the account of each group, i.e. on p. 216 and 

 p. 239 respectively. 



Literature. Certain important works, constantly required in studying the Cole- 

 optera of these islands, may be mentioned. These are the following : 



Alluaud's " Liste des Insectes Coleopteres de la Region Malgache*," being volume 

 xxi of Grandidier's " Histoire Physique, Naturelle et Politique de Madagascar " (Paris, 

 1900). Tills list gives references not only to the original descriptions of species, but 

 also to later notes and records of their capture within the region in question. In it are 

 included all the species collected in the Seychelles by Monsieur AUuaud himself in 1892, 

 and those found by earlier collectors. It also includes the species collected in Aldabra 

 and in the Seychelles in 1893 by Dr Abbott. In short, the known fauna of the islands 

 in question up to ] 900 is included in this list. 



Linell, in his paper in the "Proceedings of the United States National Museum," vol. 

 xix (1897) p. 695, gives the original account of Dr Abbott's collections mentioned above. 



Two very important papers have appeared since the publication of Alluaud's "Liste." 

 The first is Professor Kolbe's " Koleopteren der Aldabra-Inseln " (Abh. Senckenb. Ges 



* In the systematic account I have abbreviated this title to "Alkiaud, Liste Coleoiit." 

 SECOND SERIES— ZOOLOGY, VOL. XV. 2» 



