works, (the entomological public being so small,) had the 

 letter-press of the present extended to a full generic de- 

 scription, as I consider a synoptical description worse than 

 useless. I therefore chose the only alternative of giving 

 nothing more than an outline of my own views of the distri- 

 bution of British Coleoptera, and a very brief specific de- 

 scription to exhibit the colouring of the species figured. 

 And even had the generic descriptions been added and 

 made full, it could not have precluded the necessity of 

 occasionally referring to other works for information which 

 it would not have contained without a seriously detrimental 

 increase of bulk and cost; and I have, therefore, preferred 

 making it supplemental to all works upon the subject, to 

 which it will be found a desirable, important and even ne- 

 cessary auxiliary. 



I have added a selection only of the foreign genera that 

 have occurred in Britain: indeed, it was of but little moment 

 if any of these were figured ; but I did so, thinking it might 

 be acceptable to many, although there can be scarcely a 

 doubt that they have all been accidentally introduced. In 

 the census of species I have exercised the discretion I 

 thought requisite, either in limiting or interrogating the re- 

 pletion with which our lists are swollen. Truth should be 

 the object of all inquiries, and it is quite as prejudicial to 

 the advance of science to exaggerate as it is to depreciate 

 the extent of our natural productions. 



W. E. Shuckard. 



Chelsea, 

 July, 1840. 



