Insects. 1143 



On a new locality for Cossonus Tardii, with an attempt to clear up an apparent 

 inconsistency in its position. The following remarks are drawn up for a twofold pur- 

 pose. First, to announce the discovery of Cossonus Tardii in a totally new locality: 

 and, Secondly, to account for what might appear an inconsistency in the position of 

 that locality. Of course, I do not mean an absolute inconsistency, — but a relative 

 one ; inasmuch as, in speaking of locality, no such thing as an " absolute " inconsis- 

 tency can exist. It is merely inconsistent, at first sight, with reference to a previous 

 one mentioned on a former occasion, — namely, that which I found it to inhabit in 

 such great abundance during the whole of last summer. And, first of all, I must state 

 that it is an undoubted decree of the Fates, that, how often soever I wander in the 

 west of England, so sure is Cossonus Tardii to be the result of all my captures. I had 

 last year, I believe, the pleasure of introducing it for the first time into the English 

 Fauna, and succeeded in tracing its ravages for three and twenty miles along the 

 southern coast of Devon and Cornwall ; but, although collecting diligently for five 

 months in the two counties, I never observed it to wander from this locality, being, so 

 far as I could ascertain, confined exclusively to the highest points of land along the 

 range of the southern shore. Lately, however, a totally new feature, both as regards 

 locality and position, has presented itself to me. Instead of the " high lands of the 

 south," I found it, during a recent visit at Lynmouth (a little fishing-town on the shores 

 of the Bristol Channel), exclusively peculiar to the low ones of the north ; — a change 

 certainly considerable, but one which I think may be easily accounted for. Everybody 

 who knows Devonshire is well aware of the great difference of climate which exists 

 between the shores of the English and Bristol Channels, — the temperature of the 

 highest points of the former averaging, in most instances, that which obtains in the 

 lowest and most sheltered valleys of the latter. Which, when once admitted, may ex- 

 plain why, in one case, it should select exclusively the high lands, and, in the other, 

 invariably the low. Regarding it in this light, the change appears reasonable enough, 

 but I confess I was at first rather startled, on arriving at Lynmouth and proceeding 

 to unbark some decayed sycamores in the valley of the Lyn, to find my old friends in 

 such a totally different locality, at least eighty miles from the nearest point of the 

 southern range ; and, instead of confining themselves to the old stunted pollards on 

 the highest lands overhanging the sea, now transported to the lowest possible haunts, 

 and inhabiting the once flourishing trees which clothe the banks of that beautiful 

 stream. I think the above observations worthy of notice, first, because I expressed an 

 opinion in a former number that the insect in question was exclusively peculiar to the 

 southern coast, (Zool. 775) ; and, secondly, because I thiuk it an interesting fact, that 

 (although the insect be found in the north as well as the south) the two cases should 

 bear so closely on each other, when the difference of climate is taken into considera- 

 tion. True it is that the one is the inverse of the other, but then they are strictly 

 reciprocal. Had the the two cases been perfectly analogous, I should, undoubtedly, 

 at first, have been contented with my good luck, and pleased to find them in every 

 respect identical. But, upon maturer consideration, when I placed the circumstances 

 of the one in opposition to those of the other, and sat down in cold blood to examine 

 into each, to combine cause and effect, and endeavour to gratify myself with what I 

 had previously considered not only a curious coincidence, but " a most fortunate bear- 

 ing-out of my last year's observations," — I confess I should have been somewhat 

 staggered when I began for the first time to reflect on the two cases being perfectly 

 coincident, while they existed (to use a mathematical phrase) in " conflicting media." 



