CHAP. XVI THE BRITISH ISLES 349 



tinental entomologists to be less thorough collectors than 

 ourselves, it ought to be more and more difficult to find 

 any insects which are unknown on the continent if all ours 

 really exist there ; and the fact that the list of apparently 

 peculiar British species is an increasing one renders it 

 probable that many of them are not only apparently but 

 really endemic. Both general considerations dependent on 

 the known laws of distribution, and the peculiar habits, con- 

 spicuous appearance, and restricted range, of many of our 

 species, alike indicate that some considerable proportion of 

 them will remain permanently as peculiar British species. 

 Mr. Tutt is of opinion that most of the species and 

 varieties recorded from Britain generally will be found on 

 some part of the continent, but that most of our Hebridean, 

 Shetland, Irish, Scotch, Cumbrian, and Welsh races are 

 peculiarly our own, being in fact incipient species in 

 process of adaptation to the very pronounced insular 

 climate of those regions. 



Coleojptera, 



We will now pass on to the Coleoptera, or beetles, an 

 order which has been of late years energetically collected 

 and carefully studied by British entomologists. 



List of the Species arid Varieties of Beetles ivhich, so far as at present knoivn, 

 are confined to the British Islands. Those added since the first edition 

 are marked ivith an asterisk. 



CARABTDiE. 



1. *Bembidium saxatile, var. vectensis (Fowler). Isle of Wight. 



2. Dromius vectensis (Rye). Common in the Isle of Wight, also in 



Kent, and at Weymouth and Seaton. Closely allied to D. sigma. 



3. Harpalus latus, var. metallescens (Rye). Unique, but very 



marked ! South coast. " Perhaps a sport or a hybrid" (Fowler). 



4. AcuPALPUS DERELiCTUS (Dawson). Unique ! North Kent. Canon 



Fowler thinks it may be a variety of A. dorsalis. 



DYTICIDiE. 



5. *Acilius sulcatus, var. scoticus (Curtis). Scotland. A melanic 



variety. 



HELOPHORIDiE. 



6. OcHTHEBius POWERi (Rye). Very marked. S. coast. A few speci- 



mens only. 



7. *0. iENEUS (Steph.). 



A A 2 



