139 



the Aimulosaj the less wiU Professor Forhes's idea suffer 

 from the inquiry. In the ' Insecta Maderensia/ I have 

 already thrown out a few scattered hints which bear on 

 this immediate consideration ; and, since no subsequent 

 reason has induced me either to withdraw or modify 

 them (but rather the reverse), I will select the following, 

 — extracted from my preface to that work. 



"Taking a cursory view of the Coleoptera here 

 described, the fauna may perhaps be pronounced as 

 having a greater affinity with that of Sicily than of any 

 other country which has been hitherto properly investi- 

 gated. Apart from the large number of our genera 

 (and even species) which are diffused over more or less 

 of the entire Mediterranean basin, this is especially 

 eviaced iu some of the most characteristic forms, — such 

 as Apotomus, Xenostrongylus, TarpMus, Cholovocera, 

 Holoparamecus, Berginus, Litargus, Tfwrictus, and Boro- 

 morphus. There is, moreover, strange though it may 

 appear to be, some slight (though decided) collective 

 assimilation with what we observe in the south-western 

 extremity of our own country and of Ireland, — nearly 

 all the species which are common to Madeira and the 

 British Isles beiug found in those particular regions; 

 whilst one point of coincidence at any rate, and of a 

 very remarkable nature, has been folly discussed under 

 Mesites. Whether or not this partial parallelism may 

 be employed to further Professor E. Forbes^s theory of 

 the quondam approximation, by means of a continuous 

 land, of the Kerry and GaUician hihs, and of a huge 



