in the Catalogue of British Coleoptera. 335 



racters of the genera of Aleochar'idcs of Dr. Kraatz's book, tlie 

 anterior tarsi are, by accident, given as four-jointed: the above 

 definition, however, subsequently given, is correct. 



In looking through my Catalogue, I find that, excepting in the 

 Staphylinidce, the cases in which Stephens's names have been placed 

 above others more or less in use on the Continent, are by no means 

 numerous, and I shall say nothing about them on the present 

 occasion. But the case of the Staphylinidce is rather peculiar, 

 and I will take this opportunity of stating what I know about the 

 matter: although some parts of this statement may have but a very 

 indirect connection with the main point of my paper, it will be 

 useful. In Stephens' work are published MSS. furnished by 

 Kirby,* which must have been prepared (as I judge from evidence 

 furnished in the MSS.) at least fifty years back ; and, in fact, 

 very nearly at the same time that Gravenhorst's works were in 

 hand. It is very clear to me (having gone minutely into the 

 subject) that Stephens had never paid much attention to the 

 group ; but this I know (from himself) that having been furnished 

 with abundance of matter by Kirby, he visited that Entomologist's 

 residence, and stayed with him a considerable time, for the pur- 

 pose of identifying the insects in his own collection with those of 

 Kirby's if a most important point, as he intended publishing 

 Kirby 's descriptions. In this way a certain amount of corre- 

 spondence was brought about in the nomenclature of the two 

 collections. I word the matter in this way, because there was 

 likewise brought about a certain amount of disagreement ; for in 

 the minute and obscure species many of the supposed identifications 

 were erroneous. Having thus compared and named his species, 

 Stephens informs us (see Illustr. v. p. 134), that he found in his 

 own collection, in the Jleocharce alone, seventy-six species which 

 he did not find in Kirby's cabinet: these, then, are given in the 

 "Systematic Catalogue" as new species — for the most part at least. 

 Lastly, Stephens undertakes a general work on the insects of this 

 country (not the Coleoptera alone), which is to appear in monthly 

 parts, and must be written " after office hours," as we say, for he 

 was engaged all day in a government office. Those who have not 

 tried it (or something similar) can form but a very imperfect idea 

 of such an undertaking — a difficult subject to be dealt with over- 



* There exists plenty of evidence that Stephens was furnished with MSS. 

 relating to many other groups besides the Staphylinidce. 



t Of course Stephens could not take his collection down into Suffolk, but he 

 took a series of specimeds, and these specimens were ticketed in a peculiar 

 manner, and their tickets still remain attached. 



