NEW BRITISH SPECIES, ETC., IN 1869. 35 



representing]^ one of the insects above alluded to as to be 

 deducted from Wat. Cat. It is interesting to note, in these 

 additions, another instance of the axiom that new and good 

 Sj)ecies follow acute observers ; for, apart from the greater 

 proportion of our formerly recognized Homalotce being now 

 recorded from Scotland, in which part of the kingdom Dr. 

 Sharp has recently been residing, no less than thirteen of his 

 new species are described from exclusively Scotch exponents, 

 and five of his other additions are also exclusively Scotch. 

 Many changes in nomenclature are made by Dr. Sharp, some 

 of which have been already brought forward in this country 

 in Mr. Crotch's Catalogues. I observe that, as Dr. Sharp 

 occupies himself with injects more than mere names, the 

 Motschulskyan enigma of S. jncea, from Britain only, re- 

 mains unsolved. 



It will be, perhaps, a subject of regret to British Entomo- 

 logists, that Dr. Sharp has confined himself to the strict letter 

 of the law of publication, and has (assuredly on conviction, 

 and not for fear of the extra trouble) omitted to consult 

 Kirby's M.S. and collection for corroboration of that author's 

 species misinterpreted by Stephens. If he had thought him- 

 self justified in doing so, I have no doubt that the evidence 

 therein contained which satisfied Mr. Waterhouse would 

 also have satisfied him, and some six or seven goodKirbyan 

 species would have been retained. Dr. Sharp's work is so 

 likely to be accepted abroad as interpreting the opinions of 

 British Coleopterists, that there would seem no practical 

 utility in attempting to revive these names after his repudi- 

 ation of them. 



It may not be out of place to hint, with regard to Dr. 

 Sharp's Monograph, that those who, with or without com- 

 pound microscopes, have been anxiously awaiting its publi- 

 cation as a sort of royal road to Homalotay will find that, in 



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