32 COLEOPTERA. 



science; of which some half-dozen, as hereafter mentioned, 

 represent insects ah'eady in our lists, but apparently erro- 

 neously determined ; and seventy-six other species have been 

 attributed to Britain, Avhereof about a score need not be 

 reckoned, — being as to some of them most decidedly, and as 

 to the rest most probably, not entitled to a place in our lists. 

 Indeed, it can hardly fail to occur to readers of this record 

 that many of these last-mentioned species are ^^vox etprceterea 

 nihil f^ and that, in fact, it may be said of myself, as of 

 Tom Thumb,— 



•' He makes his giants first, and then he slays them." 

 But I think it will be admitted that it is right to try and get 

 rid of erroneous records ; and the thought may also arise that 

 it is rather a slur upon us that Continental compilers of cata- 

 logues should be able to find so many species, brought for- 

 ward by older British Entomologists, not yet satisfactorily 

 explained. 



Deducting, then, these twenty species, and the half-dozen 

 among the new species to which I have above referred, there 

 will remain eighty-eight to be safely added to the British 

 catalogue,— an unusually large number for one ** Annual" 

 labour. Amongst these, besides the most interesting insects 

 representing the three genera above alluded to as new to us, 

 are two Hydropori {minutissimus and %inistriatus) formerly 

 included in — but quite recently rejected from — our lists; a 

 miraculous draught of Antho7iomi (some of which I have 

 included among those not to be reckoned) and Bruchi; a 

 fine BagouSy Ceuthorhynchus and Cionus, and many other 

 equally well-marked species. Making, therefore, every allow- 

 ance for the most inveterate " laudator temporis acti " who 

 may grumble at the "splitting" pi-opensities of the modern 

 school, we may safely assert that our additions for 1869 are 

 considerably above the average, both in quantity and quality. 



