TAYLOR: DOMINANCY IN NATUHK. 
25 
found only on mountains and on moorlands ; it is in Mr. Sharp's 
view the most ancient element in our coleopterous fauna and 
represented by Cdrabim clathratm, Nebria gyllenhalli, Elaphrm 
lapponicns, and Dyticm lapponicm. The third or "Atlantic" ^roup 
Fig. 9.— Geographical distribution of Coleoptera in the British Isles, illustrating exactly the 
same principles of dispersal as those governing other forms of life, as the predominance of the 
later evolved species of North-Central Europe and the relative inferiority of those species of more 
ancient origin (after Mr. W. E. Sharp). 
The Red represents the area of the dominant North-Central European species which have 
overspread the country and are gradually dispossessing the previous inhabitants, of which Blue 
represents the weaker "Northern or Celtic" element, now restricted to mountains, moors, and 
other inhospitable places, while Yellow indicates the places where species of the so-called 
" Lusitanian or Atlantic " group still linger, and Brown shows the isolated or discontinuous ran^e 
of the feeble and regressive "Southern" species. 
typified by Nehria complanata, Mhopalomesite^^ tardy i, Exomias 
pyrenwuii, and Micropepltis cwlatus is a small assemblage of species 
confined to Ireland and the extreme South-west of England and 
suggested to be probably derived from a now sunken Atlantic land. 
