T1IE CHIEF COLEOPTEROUS FATJNvE. 



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sandy soil, where water is rare at the surface, the Carabici and 

 Staphylinidce disappear, and in recompense the Heteromcra ap- 

 pear in greater numbers, and some of the genera indicate, like the 

 vegetation, an approach to Melanesia and Asia. It is the same 

 as regards the Wallis Isles, the productions of which are almost 

 identical with those of Tonga. In that western part we begin to 

 find metallic colours, and generic types unknown to the eastern 

 part, as Amarygmus, Olisthama, Mallodon, &c. ; but there remain 

 still too many points of contact between these two zones to allow 

 us to separate them distinctly." — Loc. cit. 



The western islands have still more of this Indian element, as 

 will be seen from the Table, which contains a list of the genera 

 found by Father Montrouzier in New Caledonia. As my pur- 

 pose is only to indicate the general character of the fauna of that 

 part, I have not dissected it so minutely, but merely indicated 

 the results. It will be seen from these that the microtypal 

 stirps continues the staple, although a greater number of in- 

 troductions from the Indian region and the Australian sub- 

 fauna are visible. The most noteworthy of other alliances are 

 those from South America ; and perhaps the most interesting is 

 the presence of a Firefly (Photopliorus) in the islands (the New 

 Hebrides) most distant from the South-American proper abode 

 of the Firefly. The Griow-worm is a Miocene insect, and belongs 

 to the microtypal stirps. The Firefly is neither. It is confined 

 to the range of the Brazilian stirps. There ought to have been 

 no Fireflies in my microtypal Pacific continent unless supplied 

 from South America. There are other cases of a somewhat 

 similar nature, in other branches, which will occur to the na- 

 turalist — for instance, the Araucaria, which, besides occurring in 

 Brazil and Chili, is also found in the Pacific islands. This, 

 indeed, is not so special a case ; for Conifers being of old date in 

 Europe, and in their associations and present distribution de- 

 cidedly microtypal, the Araucaria in Chili and the Pacific islands 

 may be modified descendants of the ancient European types, and 

 the Brazilian species a straggler from them. The occurrence of 

 the Tapir both in South America and the Malayan Archipelago 

 points to a connexion between them at a comparatively recent date. 



The other classes of insects, so far as I have gone into them, 

 seem to me to corroborate the microtypal character of the Co- 

 leopterous fauna. As to the flora and avifauna I must, for the 

 present, put them aside with those of Australia, with which they 

 have considerable affinity and some identity. 



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