320 



ISLAND LIFE 



PART II 



natural means, and that these, already highly specialised 

 for certain defined modes of life, could only develop slowly 

 into slightly modified forms of the original types. The 

 most remarkable element in the Entomology appears to 

 be the family Proterhinidse. This is allied to Aglycyderidse 

 (of which only two species are known, one in New Zealand 

 the other in the Canary Islands). It is not allied to any 

 other Coleoptera, but apparently to some extent connects 

 the clavicorn Coleoptera with the Rhynchophora. 137 

 species of Proterhinidse are known, all placed in one genus, 

 Proterhinus. Although there is much variety in the genus, 

 Mr. Perkins considers it cannot be satisfactorily divided. 

 A few remarks on each of the more important of the families 

 will serve to indicate their probable mode and period of 

 introduction into the islands. 



The Carabidse consists chiefly of seven peculiar genera of 

 Anchomenini comprising fifty-one species, and several 

 endemic species of Bembidiinse. They are highly peculiar 

 and are all of small size, and may have originally reached 

 the islands in the crevices of the drift wood from N.W. 

 America which is still thrown on their shores, or, more 

 rarely, by means of a similar drift from the N.-Western 

 islands of the Pacific ^ It is interesting to note that 

 peculiar species of the same groups of Carabidse are found 

 in the Azores, Canaries, and St. Helena, indicating that 

 they possess some special facilities for transmission across 

 wide oceans and for establishing themselves upon oceanic 

 islands. The Staphylinidse present may peculiar species 

 of known genera. Being still more minute and usually 

 more ubiquitous than the Carabidse, there is no difficulty in 

 accounting for their presence in the islands by the same 

 means of dispersal. The Nitidulidse, Ptinidse, and Ciodidae 

 being very small and of varied habits, either the perfect 

 insects, their eggs or larvae, may have been introduced 

 either by water or wind carriage, or through the agency of 

 birds. Many of the Curculionidse, being wood bark or nut 

 borers, would have considerable facilities for transmission 

 by floating timber, fruits, or nuts ; and the eggs or larvae of 



^ See Hildebrand's Flora of the Hawaiian Islands, Introduction, 

 p. xiv. 



