1878. ] 353 (Schwarz. 
The Coleoptera of Florida. 
By E. A. ScHWARz.* 
(Read before the American Philosophical Society, Feb. 1, 1878.) 
The following list is founded upon matcrial collected during two expe- 
ditions to Florida. In the spring of 1875 collections were made at Haul- 
over near the northern end of Indian River from February 23d to March 
20th, at Ft. Capron, on the same lagoon about a hundred miles south of 
Haulover, from March 26th to April 28th, at Enterprise on the upper St. 
Johns River from May 7th to 28th, at Cedar Keys, on the gulf coast, from 
June 2d to 9th. In the following year collections were made at Tampa 
from March 24th to April 30th, and again at Enterprise from May 15th to 
June 27th. 
On both trips smaller collections were made at various points : Fernan- 
dina April 16th, Palatka February 13th, Sand Point on the Indian River 
February 19th to 22d, Lake Harney on the upper St. Johns River in the 
beginning of May, at Baldwin on the Jacksonville and Mobile R. R. on 
June ist and June 10th, Lake Ashby in Volusia County and New Smyrna 
in the beginning of June. A number of interesting species were also ob- 
tained on the journey across the peninsula from Tampa to Enterprise dur- 
ing the first half of May. 
As the localities where the most extensive collections were made differ 
greatly in character, and as no points in north-western Florida, nor at the 
southern extremity of the peninsula were visited, I must abstain from 
drawing any conclusions concerning the local distribution of Coleoptera in 
Florida. The sandy plains at Haulover, covered with scrub-oak and saw- 
palmetto, were not found elsewhere ; the ocean and lagoon beaches of the 
eastern shore, especially at Capron, are rich in peculiar forms, and as the 
Gulf Stream here flows only six or eight miles off the coast, it is quite 
possible that many of these species are direct importations brought in the 
West Indian seeds and drift-wood constantly being thrown upon this low 
and sandy coast. 
The Coleoptera from Enterprise represent the fauna of the ‘“‘ hammocks,’’ 
a term applied in Florida to the dense hard-wood and palmetto forests, as 
distinguished from the open and sandy pine lands or cypress swamps. At 
Tampa special attention was paid to the fauna of the pine forests. In all 
districts covered with pine woods occur depressions, which in the dry sea- 
son become swampy meadows, with a fauna remarkably rich in species 
and in specimens, and nearly identical in character throughout the State. 
Notwithstanding the very uniform temperature during the entire year, the 
dry season, which corresponds with the winter months, causes a disappear- 
ance of insects in Florida almost as complete as in the north; in the 
beginning of March they appear suddenly with the first leaves of the oak, 
* With additional descriptions of new species by JoHN L. LECONTE, M.D. 
PROC. AMER. PHILOS. Soc. xviI. 101. 2R. PRINTED APRIL 17, 1878. 
