XX11 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



MM. Webb and Berthelot, which I have altogether rejected ; though 

 perhaps they might have been allowed to enter the list on the same 

 footing with the remainder the evidence in each case being equally 

 bad. They are the Cicindela nilotica, Dej. ; Colaspis barbara, F. ; 

 Erodius europceus, F. ; and Akis acuminata, F., which are never- 

 theless alluded to, in foot-notes, in their proper places. I really 

 cannot take into account the Clytus griseus, which figures, in addi- 

 tion to the C. Webbii, in MM. Webb and Berthelot's catalogue, 

 because the griseus is acknowledged to be a mere variety of the 

 4i-punctatus, to which species it seems probable that even the G. Webbii 

 equally pertains ! And as it appears likely that there is no Clytus 

 at all which is absolutely Canarian, I think that if one of these two 

 are admitted on the very questionable evidence of Mr. Webb (cf. 'Cat. 

 Can. Col.' p. 390, note), it is quite as much as ought to be ventured 

 upon*. 



Dominant Forms. Beverting to the statistics, it may be interest- 

 ing to note what the particular forms are which are most dominant 

 throughout the archipelago, as well as a few of those which would 

 seem par excellence to be characteristic of certain parts of it. And 

 when the great preponderance of the weevils (to which I have already 

 called attention) is taken into account, we perhaps shall not be sur- 

 prised that one of the primary features which meet us at the outset 

 should consist in the extraordinary development of some closely 

 allied types of the Curculionidce. It is the subfamily Laparocerides 

 to which I refer, a group which is not only monstrously expressed 

 (though under different species, and slightly different genera) both in 

 the Madeiras and Canaries, but one likewise which is so essentially 

 Atlantic that the whole of its exponents (in these islands) which have 



* Some of the above remarks may be applied with equal justice to 8 species of 

 a still smaller collection, which was formed in Madeira by the late Dr. Heineken ; 

 for although I do not doubt that they were really obtained in that island, I sus- 

 pect nevertheless that all of them (except perhaps one the Cholovocera Madcrte) 

 were mere accidental importations from more northern latitudes. And in entire 

 accordance with this hypothesis is a note which was communicated by the late 

 Mr. Bewicke, who ascertained from a merchant resident on the spot the positive 

 fact that at any rate a few insects were once captured amongst some foreign 

 timber, in a yard on the Funchal beach, and were given to Dr. Heineken ; and 

 that another was found on the roof of the Cathedral, which is situated imme- 

 diately behind the custom-house. The following are the names of these 8 (more 

 or less doubtful) species of Dr. Heineken which nobody else has since met with 

 in Madeira, and six of which it will be perceived are ordinary European ones : 

 Gyrinus natator, L. ; Cholovocera Madercs, Westw. ; Chasmatopterus nigrocinctus, 

 W. ; Crioceris asparagi, L. ; G-astrophysa polygoni, L. ; Cassida nebulosa, L. ; 

 Coccinella \4i-pustulata, L. ; and Tenebrio molitor, L. 



