APPENDIX. 



Sevbn years having nearly elapsed since the commencement of this work, 

 several new discoveries have consequently taken place during that period; and 

 that interval of time has given me the opportunity of re-investigating several 

 portions of the work. I shall therefore endeavour to correct such errors as 

 appear to have unavoidably taken place, and also to describe (concisely) such 

 newly-discovered species, &c. as appear not to have been previously noticed in 

 these volumes ; and thus endeavour to render them as perfect as to our know- 

 ledge of the Coleopterous Insects of Great Britain as is compatible with the 

 extent of the subject, and its present advanced state; though I am fully confi- 

 dent that all my exertions to render them complete must inevitably fail, from 

 the extreme minuteness of some of the species, and the comparatively little 

 attention that has hitherto been devoted to such minute atoms, as well as from 

 the scarcity of real working scientific entomologists : amongst whom, I am 

 concerned to say, there are many who prefer walking in the steps of others, 

 and remain satisfied by naming their insects second-hand, as it were, from other 

 collections, and thus an error committed in the first-named cabinet becomes 

 perpetuated, or at least continues for a longer or shorter period undetected, 

 solely from the want of referring to the original descriptions. It is by these 

 means that some of the insects hereafter noticed have been passed over, 

 although they have long been in collections, while others have escaped from 

 their extreme resemblance to their congeners, or from their minute size or 

 rarity, though upon this last point I differ much from others, as formerly 

 pointed out (vide v. i. p. 16, &c.), and I see no reasons for changing my opinion, 

 but am more confirmed therein by subsequent experience. 



To attempt a complete revision of the five volumes would occupy too much 

 space and more time than I can possibly devote to the subject. 1 shall therefore 

 endeavour to correct the more important errors, and to describe the omitted 

 genera and species, as also to record a few additional localities of some of the 

 rarer ones, proceeding in accordance with my previous arrangement. 



