288 



ISLAND LIFE. 



[part II. 



forming a peculiar genus, but which has been found also at the 

 Cape of Good Hope. It is therefore impossible to say of which 

 country it is really a native, or whether it is indigenous to both, 

 and dates back to the remote period when St. Helena received its 

 early emigrants. All the Cossonidse are found in the highest 

 and wildest parts of the island where the native vegetation still 

 lingers, and many of them are only found in the decaying stems 

 of tree-ferns, box-wood, arborescent Compositae, and other in- 

 digenous plants. They are all pre-eminently peculiar and 

 isolated, having no direct affinity to species found in any 

 other country. The next family, the Tanyrhynchidse, has one 

 peculiar genus in St. Helena, with ten species. This genus 

 (Nesiotes) is remotely allied to European, Australian, and 

 Madeiran insects of the same family : the habits of the species 

 are similar to those of the Cossonidse. The Trachyphloeidse are 

 represented by a single species belonging to a peculiar genus 

 not very remote from a European form. The Anthribidse again 

 are highly peculiar. There are twenty-six species belonging to 

 three genera, all endemic, and so extremely peculiar that they 

 form two new subfamilies. One of the genera, A^carodes, is 

 said to be allied to a Madeiran genus. 



2. Geodephaga. — These are the terrestrial carnivorous beetles, 

 very abundant in all parts of the world, especially in the tem- 

 perate regions of the northern hemisphere. In St. Helena 

 there are fourteen species belonging to three genera, one of 

 which is peculiar. This is the Ha'plothomx hurchellii, the largest 

 beetle on the island, and now very rare. It resembles a large 

 black Carabus. There is also a peculiar Calosoma, very distinct, 

 though resembling in some respects certain African species. 

 The rest of the Geodephaga, twelve in number, belong to the 

 wide-spread genus Bembidium, but they are altogether peculiar 

 and isolated, except one, which is of European type, and alone 

 has wings, all the rest being wingless. 



3. Heteeomeea. — This group is represented by three peculiar 

 genera containing four species, with two species belonging to 

 European genera. They belong to the families Opatridse, 

 Mordellidse, and Anthicidse. 



4. Beachyelytea. — Of this group there are six peculiar 



