52 



MB. A. MURRAY ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL RELATIONS OF 



New Holland is my uext stage ; and Here I would first observe 

 that the Coleopterous fauna of Australia, although recent dis- 

 coveries show some modification and even a slight infusion of 

 Malayan blood in the north, is as a whole homogeneous. In the 

 next place, I do not anticipate any opposition to the general 

 proposition that many of its ingredients, especially those in the 

 south, have a European aspect. There are other elements which 

 may very fairly form the subject of discussion whether they are 

 derived frcm a microtypal origin or not; but as to the European 

 affinity of a very considerable portion there can, I think, be no 

 doubt. It will be sufficient to remind the entomologist of the 

 genus Pamborus, the Lebiidce, the Broscidce, the Feroniadce, 

 Haliplus, the Hydroporidw, the Colymbetidce, Gyrinus, Hydro- 

 philus, Berosus, Arcticerus, Silpha, Nitidula, Soronia, 3feligethes, 

 Thalycra, Peltis, Sister, Morychus, Cucujus, Dendrophagus, Syn- 

 calypta, Ptinus, Trichius, Onthophagus, Aphodius, Lacon, Chalcophora, 

 Zycus, Tenebrio, Anthicus (of which there are 48 species already 

 described from Australia), Curculionidce allied to Trachyphloeus, 

 Lepyrus, Eurhinus, Otiorhynchus, CryptorhyncJius, Longicorns 

 (which, without being Leptura or Phagium, are so like them 

 that the names Lepturoides and Phagiomorplia have been given 

 them), Haltica, Longitarsus, Hispa, of the European type, Cocci- 

 nella, &c, genera by far the greater number of which have no 

 representative out of microtypal lands. 



Even those forms which are usually considered typical of and 

 peculiar to Australia, when carefully considered, lead to the same 

 result. The Anoplognathi, one of the largest, showiest, and most 

 brilliant metallic species in the country, belongs to a special group 

 of Lamellicorns, which is well represented in Chili by allied forms 

 (Platycoelia, Brachystemus, &c.) ; but it is still more closely copied 

 in North America in what is there called the Groldsmith Beetle, 

 Cotalpa lanuginosa-, and if we pass on to Europe we do not, 

 indeed, find it now, but we find fossil remains of it in the Miocene 

 beds. The genus Laniprima is, at first sight, as peculiar as Ano- 

 plognathus, and equally restricted to Australia. It is little more 

 than a metallic Streptocerus, a Chilian form, allied to Scortizus, 

 which is not a very great deviation from the European and North- 

 American Platycerus. I have a species (undescribed I believe) 

 which has exactly the facies of an Akis, although systematists may 

 insist on carrying it to Adelium or Thoracophorus. The Dish Beetle 

 of the Australians (Helaus) looks as if nothing could come near it. 



