INTRODUCTION. v 



the number of species being 1273, whilst for North America (Henshaw's Catalogue) it 

 is 579, and for Europe (with the Caucasus), according to the latest edition of Heyden, 

 Reitter, and Weise's Catalogue, only 473 species. 



The material for the present volume has been relatively richer than that for the 

 former volumes on the Geodephaga and Longicornia, for in addition to that obtained 

 by the four years' labours of Mr. Champion, and the fine collections of M. Salle, Herr 

 Hoge, Herr Van Patten, Mr. Belt, and others mentioned in a previous Introduction, it 

 includes a very large collection, a portion of the fruit of Herr Hoge's second journey 

 to Mexico, and another, rich in new and interesting forms, obtained by Mr. and Mrs. 

 H. H. Smith during their recent journey, in which they visited parts of Mexico not 

 previously explored. Many new species have also been obtained from Herr Conradt 

 and from Dr. Gaumer, who collected in Guatemala and in Yucatan respectively. Mr. 

 Flohr has also sent us specimens of many new species, some of the most remarkable 

 of which were collected in the Sierra Madre of Durango. 



The total number of species enumerated in the present volume is 1100 : 494 new 

 species ( Pectinicornia 23 and Lamellicornia 471) and 19 new genera (Pectinicornia 4 

 and Lamellicornia 15) are described. 



Of the 1028 species of Lamellicornia, 107 are left unnamed from want of sufficient 

 material, such species being represented by single specimens only, often imperfect, 

 which, in this family, where the sexual differences and degrees of development are so 

 important, cannot afford reliable specific characters ; these unnamed species chiefly 

 belong to Lachnostema (36), Anomala (24), and Diplotaxis (13). 492 species are 

 figured (Pectinicornia 18 and Lamellicornia 474). 



H. W. B. 



January 1 890. 



