OCT. — DEC. 1856. J Descriptions of new Ceijlon Ccleoptera. 59 
tact and judgment he will arrive at a result, which under such cir- 
cumstances must carry much weight with it. I shall illustrate this 
case by an example : If for instance after collecting for five years in 
Ceylon generally, and in the Colombo District more especially, I find 
at the latter place an insect — say the Chlceniiis 5-7naculatits describ- 
ed 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 Chlcstiius is marked as 
occurring in Ceylon), are not the ch^inces 'greatly in favor of its be- 
ing an undescribed species ? »If again, I collect beetles as small 
and inconspicuous as the Trichopteryx described below, and con- 
sider at the same time that, although they are in certain localities 
of common occurrence, no professional Coleopterologist has ever 
collected before me in this Island ; if, moreover, my library ofi'ers 
nothing that could possibly refer to them individually (there being 
hardly an Asiatic species mentioned), am I under these circum- 
stances not justified in considering them as undescribed ? Decided- 
ly I am. Circumstances like these would indeed be altogether con- 
clusive, if there was not a chance of the beetle occurring in some 
neighbouring country, and it having thence found its way into the 
normal collections of Europe. The possibility of such being the 
case, of course enhances the difficulties of the case very materially, 
but I do not see why they should not, to a certain degree, be over- 
come by the same or similar means as those cited for overcoming 
them in one particular country. 
' I think I have said enough to show,that the disadvantages encoun- 
tered by the entomologist here, or in other places similarly situated, 
in conscientiously attempting to publish new species may (his princi- 
pal assistance being perseverance, a good library and tact — ento- 
mological instinct I am almost tempted to call it) — be overcome, I 
am far from saying entirely— hut so far as to expose him from 
ivani of resources in the execution of his plan, to no more mistakes 
than are incident to entomologists under more favourable circum- 
stances, from neglecting them. But I am not satisfied with obtain- 
ing the simple grant of permission to describe on the spot a part 
of what he collects — I claim more for the entomologist abroad. I 
wish to show that he should naturally be expected— nay desired — 
