XVII. — Contribution to the Insect Fauna of Van Diemeiv's 

 Land, (now Tasmania) ^ with particular reference to the 

 Geographical Distribution of Insects. By Dr. W. F. 

 Eeichson. (Translated by Miss S. A. Fogg.) 



Although fhe exertions of Robert Brown have procured for 

 us an extensive acquaintance with the Flora of New Holland, 

 not merely with respect to individuals, but also in a general 

 and universal sense; although we are acquainted with 

 the Fauna of different classes of mammalia and birds, yet 

 oui' knowledge of the entomological Fauna of this part 

 of the world, viewed as a whole, is extremely limited. 

 The most important and peculiar productions have not, 

 indeed, remained unnoticed and unknown; different authors, 

 Kirby, Marsham, Donnovan, and others, have produced 

 excellent descriptions of particular species ; but a thorough 

 knowledge of a Fauna demands not only an acquaintance 

 with its chief peculiarities, but also a wide survey of its 

 most generally distributed forms. Buisdoval has arranged 

 all the insects of Australia which have yet been discovered, 

 including those in the Parisian collection, and their descrip- 

 tion is to be found partly in the entomological part of the 

 "Voyage of the Astrolabe^ 1832, partly in the Faune 

 Entomologique de L'Oceanie,^^ 1835; but the classification 

 affords no good insight into the character of this Fauna, 

 both on account of the paucity of its materials and their 

 imperfect arrangement. I trust that this present brochure 

 may be more successful. 



Mr. Schayer, superintendent at Worlnorth, on the north- 

 west coast of Van Diemen's Land, animated with the 

 desire of improving his residence in a country so little 



