222 MR. F. P. PASCOE ON THE COLEOPTERA OF PENANG. [May 8, 



6. Catalogue of Longicorn Coleoptera, collected in the Island 

 of Penang by James Lamb, Esq. By Francis P. Pascoe, 

 F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c, late Pres. Ent.'Soc. ' 



(Part I.) 



(Plates XXVI., XXVII., XXVIII.) 



Penang is a small island about sixteen miles long, in latitude be- 

 tween 5° and 6° N., separated from the mainland of Malacca by a 

 channel two miles in breadth. A narrow strip of the coast opposite 

 the island is known as " Province Wellesley ;" and it is within the 

 limits of these two that this collection was formed. The insects are 

 not ticketed ; so it is impossible for me to say which came from the 

 mainland and which from the island. 



The total number of species in the collection is about 212 ; but as 

 some of these are single specimens, which are either very obscure or 

 in a poor condition, I have had to content myself with merely indi- 

 cating their places in the catalogue. 



If we consider that the Longicorns in their perfect state are gene- 

 rally short-lived, and that a great majority of the species frequent 

 particular plants or families of plants, so that only where these plants 

 occur can we expect to find the insects, it will be readily understood 

 how this limited range and brief existence must m:ike it almost im- 

 possible for any collector to obtain more than a portion of those that 

 inhabit even a moderately extensive district. And thus it is that 

 sometimes perhaps half the species of a large collection are repre- 

 sented each by one or two individuals only. The number of species, 

 therefore, and the many superb novelties which Mr. Lamb has had 

 the good fortune to capture, whilst it excites our admiration, shows 

 us how much more might be expected if all those rich tropical lands 

 were as thoroughly worked by entomologists as Europe has been. 



A few years ago all, with the exception of about fourteen, would 

 have been new to science ; even now not less than 98 are described 

 for the first time, leaving 26 for further observation, the greater part 

 of which are also probably new. Of these, 19 are types of entirely 

 new genera, out of the total of 1 1 0. But to these, three more must be 

 added, previously found by Mr. Wallace, but not yet published — Ame- 

 sisa, Ephies, and Cyriopalus. Two genera are European (Mesosa and 

 JEgosoma), with species extending to North China ; six (Praonetka, 

 Olenecamptus, Astathes, P/iifus, Dere, and Pyrestes) belong to North 

 China and Northern India, but are not found in Europe (the first is 

 also Australian) ; four {Coptops*, Cerosterna, Glenea, and Meyoptis) 

 have representatives in Africa ; Xystrocera and Sybra are African 

 and Australian ; while Atimura is the only genus confined to and 

 belonging to both the Australian and Malayan regions. Not less 

 than eight of the exclusively Malayan genera are found in New 



* Coptops aldominalis, White, from North Australia, is a species of JEyomomus, 

 apparently identical, for the specimen is much worn, with /£. insular is, an insect 

 very generally distributed over the Malayan archipelago. 



