4 



JOURNAL R. A. S. (CEYLON). [Vol. III. 



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 . Ohlcemus 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 Chlcenius is marked as 

 occurring in Ceylon), are not the chances greatly in favour of 

 its being an undescribed species ? If, again, I collect beetles 

 as small and inconspicuous as the Trichopteryx described below, 

 and consider at the same time, that, although they are in 

 certain localities of common occurrence, no professional Cole- 

 opterologist has ever collected them before me in this Island ; if 

 moreover, again, my library offers nothing that could possibly 

 refer to them individually (there being hardly an Asiatic 

 species mentioned), — am I not under these circumstances 

 justified in considering them as undescribed ? Decidedly. 

 Circumstances like these would indeed be altogether conclusive, 

 if there was not a chance of the beetle occurring in some 

 neighbouring country, and its having thence found its way 

 into the normal collections of Europe. The possibility of such 

 being the case, enhances the difficulties of the case of course 

 very materially ; and I am forced to admit that the means of 

 overcoming them are very unreliable. One deficiency, des- 

 criptions of new species furnished under these circumstances, 

 will almost always have : namely, the comparison (so desirable, 

 if not essential, in large genera) with another allied and 

 known species, will be wanting ; but this stands or falls with 

 the system from which it is inseparable. 



I think I have said enough to shew, that the disadvantages 

 the entomologist encounters here, or in other places similarly 

 situated, in conscientiously attempting to publish new species 



