4 TERTIARY RHYNCHOPHOROUS COLEOPTERA. 
the existing forms, a proportion which altogether surpasses that yet found 
in any other family of insects. The abundance and variety of the Rhynchi- 
tide may, therefore, be looked upon as the most striking feature in the Ter- 
tiary Rhynchophorous fauna of North America. 
The relative representation of the different families of Rhynchophora 
in the American and European Tertiaries, as well as their representation in 
America to-day (according to Henshaw’s catalogue of 1885), is set forth 
succinctly in the following table: 
Comparative view of recent and fossil Rhynchophora. 
In Numbers. In Percentages. 
Families. cent Tertiary ; ecent Tertiar popes 
North | North | ytertiany | Noni | North | ,tevtiory 
| American. | American. American. | American. g 
Rhinomaceridw -...-..---- | 3) leoacsasosscd||chssceonscns | ODS eee sneer sivanis 
Rhynchitid@ ...-.-...-.-- 25 20 5 i 2:3 10°3 3°3 
Atttelabide 22: 2---cros >= = Dal ae aeenclee oe 1 || Orbu So Seceteeeses 0-7 
Byrsopldwe asses ease iN Le ed a u OM aes sae 4-7 
Otiorhynchide --...-.---- 115 47 17 10°7 24-3 11°38 
Cureulionid@ .........--. | 610 | 100 100 59-4 51:8 66-7 
Brenthid@ .-...-......--- B: |Mei tas. . Sets Eee | W539 |eooscshe22-- or ce Bocvsce 
Calandridw ...........--. 82 10 7| 76 5.2 4-7 
Scolytidw)-:--.-5-...-.. 2. | 163 5 ii 15:1 2°6 47 
Anthribide,----cscs-s-e - oT | 11 | 6 34 5-7 4-0 
Motal)--s222e- 9 ee 1,078 193 150 || 100°1 99-9 1001 
This table shows better than any words some striking features in 
the American Tertiary fauna, when compared with that now existing in 
North America, and, indeed, to a certain extent and in much the same 
direction when compared with the European Tertiary fauna. These 
peculiarities consist in the extraordinary development of the Rhynchitide, 
already alluded to; the great preponderance of the Otiorhynchide, due to 
its remarkable development in localities other than: Florissant, and the 
meager showing of the Scolytide:, this last also seen in the European Ter- 
tiaries, and undoubtedly resulting from the habits of life of these insects 
as subcortical feeders on trees, which would prevent their deposition in 
places where their fossil remains could be preserved. The reduction in 
this direction is, indeed, so great as to effect a very slight lessening of the 
