Ceylon Coleoptera. Spe, 3 



Staphy linkup, Sehoenherr's CuiTuKonida?, Boheman's Cassidsej, 

 Westwood's Paussida?, etc.. as well as the latter author's 

 general work on the families, and Lacordaire's on the genera 

 Coleopteroruin. diligently consulted, go as guides a long way, 

 and should, although some of them have by the rapid progress 

 of the science, grown rather antiquated, guard against a 

 number of inistake-s of a systematic nature, As to whether a 

 beetle be new or not, I admit, that in forming an opinion on 

 this question, the entomologist, situated as above, will have 

 quite as much to be guided by a certain tact (not clearly 

 definable, but understood by scientific men) than by anything 

 else: and I am forced to concede, that under any circumstances 

 almost, it is totally impossible to arrive at an indisputable cer- 

 tainty either the one way or the other. This, however, ex- 

 cludes by no means the possibility of his forming an opinion 

 with so much precision as to enable him to pronounce in the 

 matter with a very high degree cf confidence, and all probability 

 in his favour. In attempting to come to a decision on this 

 difficult point, he will receive a first superficial idea, from 

 careful reflection on certain accidental circumstances, such 

 as size, scarcity, or other peculiarities of the insect in question. 

 This idea, whichever way it may incline, will then either gain 

 or lose in strength by diligent reference to his library, until 

 at length, with a certain amount of tact and judgment, he will 

 arrive at a result, which under such circumstances, must 

 carry much weight with it. I shall illustrate this case by an 

 example: — If,for instance, after collecting five years in Ceylon 

 generally, and in the Western Province more especially, I 

 find at the latter place an insect — say the Chlaenius pulcher 

 described below — for the first time — am I not entitled to 

 consider it as very scarce ? If on consulting my library 

 I discover nothing which can possibly refer to it ( finding that 

 not a single Chlamius is marked as occurring in Ceylon), are 

 not the chances greatly in favour of its being an undescribeel 



