1934 Insects. 



Trichonyx. Into this genus also E. Maeskelii, Aube (sulcicollis, Curtis) enters. Mr. 

 Stephens still refers to the genus Bryaxis the Pselaphus insignis of Reichenbach, 

 which is, however, identical with Tyrus mucronatus, Panz., Aube, and not yet found 

 in Great Britain. The specimen named insignis in Mr. Stephens's collection is not 

 distinct from juncorura. 



Of the four species of Pselaphus admitted by Denny, viz., Heisei, Herbst, Herbstii, 

 Reich., dresdensis, Herbst, longicollis, Reich., two have been sunk by Erichson and 

 Aube as not being sufficiently distinct, P. Herbstii into Heisei, and P. longicollis into 

 dresdensis. 



Thus the number actually known of British Pselaphidae amounts to twenty-seven, 

 viz., Pselaphus two, Bryaxis six, Trichonyx one, Batrisus one, Tychus two, Bythinus 

 six, Euplectus seven, and Trimium two species. 



I take advantage of this opportunity to add a few observations on some species of 

 Scydmaenus, described as new by British entomologists. According to typical speci- 

 mens which I have examined, S. Wighamii, Denny, is angulatus, Kunze (impressus, 

 Sahib., Gyll.)', S. ruficornis, Denny, is denticornis, Kunze, $; S. Dennii, Steph., is 

 denticornis, Kunze, £; S. punctipennis, Steph., is collaris, Kunze. 



H. Schaum. 



Notes on the Coleoptera of the South of Dorsetshire. 

 By T. Vernon Wollaston, Esq., B.A., F.L.S. 



That local faunae (and therefore approximations to them) are of the 

 greatest benefit to science cannot be doubted for a moment, seeing 

 that by means of them only it is that we are enabled to arrive at the 

 more important results of general geographical distribution. No mat- 

 ter as to the size of the area, whether large or small, which we inves- 

 tigate, the result must of necessity be valuable. For when we reflect 

 how important the fauna of England, or of any other country, is in 

 determining the range of species over the surface of the earth, and 

 when we also consider that the fauna of England is itself but a local 

 fauna when compared with that of the world, we must at once be con- 

 vinced that the same principle of importance attaches itself to areas 

 of smaller magnitude than England, seeing that the very smallest of 

 them combines with the rest in making up the general mass. On this 

 account it is that I have always made it the principal object of my 

 yearly excursions, not merely to collect specimens promiscuously, 

 without reference to the localities from whence they came, but to keep 

 accurate notes of all the species (whether retained or not) which I 

 observed, together with the precise localities in which each occurred, 

 in order that, on after examination, and when taken into consideration 



