ScHARFF — Some Remarks on tJie Atlantis ProJjIem. 271 



with Europe, the part of the Continent with wliich it would have 

 been joined must have been either southern Spain or Portugal. I 

 venture to think, therefore, that Dr. Wallace should have drawn his 

 comparisons of the Madeiran coleopterous fauna with that portion of 

 our Continent and not with southern Europe and northern Africa 

 generally. It is perfectly correct, as Dr. Wallace affirms, that not a 

 single species of Carahus has ever been discovered in Madeira ; whereas 

 a large number of species of that wingless genus occur in the Mediter- 

 xanean region. But when we subject the known range of the genus 

 Carahus in Europe to a little further scrutiny, the unexpected circum- 

 stance reveals itself to us, that the number of species decreases rapidly 

 as we proceed westward from the east. Out of about 153 European 

 species, seventeen species are now known from the Spanish Peninsula, 

 and only eight have so far been detected in Portugal.^ In the extreme 

 .south of Spain, in Gibraltar and vicinity, three species have been 

 found by Mr. Champion, and only two in Marocco. To judge from 

 the geographical distribution of Caralus, it would seem as if the genus 

 liad originated somewhere in the east, and had only invaded western 

 Europe in comparatively recent times. 



Let us now examine the range of the second genus mentioned by 

 Dr. Wallace — viz., Lampijris. Of nineteen Eui'opean species, two 

 •occur in the Spanish Peninsula, and only one in Portugal. 



Pimelia, the next genus, is more largely represented in the Spanish 

 Peninsula ; for, out of forty-one European species, no less than eighteen 

 have been traced in Spain, though not a single one seems to be known 

 irom Portugal. 



Even a larger percentage of species of the genus Aids occurs in 

 Spain ; for, out of eleven European species, seven have been taken 

 there, of which one has penetrated into Portugal. 



• These facts tend to show that, even if Madeira had formed part of 

 the Spanish Peninsula, not one of the species belonging to the above- 

 mentioned genera would probably have reached that island. The 

 :absence of those genera of beetles from Madeira certainly cannot be 

 adduced as a proof that the island has never been connected with 

 Europe. 



However, Dr. Wallace founded his views upon thi'ee other impor- 

 tant statements, which require to be dealt with. He pointed out, in 

 the first instance, that the Atlantic Islands were entirely composed of 



" ■ T- 



1 These and other results have heen ohtaineil from the " Catalogus Coleopterorum 

 Europse (1891)" by Heydeu, Eeittor, and "NYeise. 



