392 
ZOOLOGICAI. LITEBATVKE. 
The numbers of observed species in the different islands are 
now given by Wollaston as follows : — 
Madeira 698 
Porto Santo .... ICO 
3 Desertas ...... 87 
2 Salvages ...... 24 
Lanzarote 277 
Fuerteventura . . 261 
Grand Canary. . . . 341 
Teneriffe 678 
Gomera ........ 890 
Palma 258 
Hieno 224 
The proportions of the different groups are : — 
Rhynchophora . . 282 
NecropLaga. ..... 219 
Brachelytoa .... 216 
Geodephaga .... 188 
Ileteromera 172 
Priocerata 135 
Phytophaga .... 64 
Cordylocerata. ... 64 
Pfieudotrimera 
Philliydrida . 
Hydradephaga 
Eiicerata . . . . . 
. 80 
. 29 
. 29 
. 22 
These proportions are but little altered by the introduction of 
the Madeiran coleopterous fauna ; and the author remarks that, 
although the more extensive fauna of the Canaries includes 
several well-known generic types which are wanting in the 
Madeiras, yet the true Atlantic types permeate the whole of the 
islands in such a manner as to give a striking appearance of 
unity to the general fauna. The coincidence of species is, how- 
ever, less than might have been expected ; only 238 have been 
observed which are common to the two principal groups. 
Some considerable alteration will be necessary in these nu- 
merical results if the species indicated by Wollaston as possibly 
derivatives from other known species should hereafter be re- 
duced to the rank of varieties. Many of these, no doubt, are 
founded upon very slight differences ; but in the present state of 
scientific opinion as to the origin of species, these doubtful 
specific forms, inhabiting what may be regarded as the highest 
summits of a submerged continent, possess a peculiar interest, 
heightened by the mode of their distribution in the different 
islands of the archipelago. 
In his remarks on ‘^dominant forms the author calls atten- 
tion to the great development of the Curculionid subfamily 
LaparocerideSj which includes 57 Atlantic species, 19 in the 
Madeiras and 38 in the Canaries. In the former group the 
genus Atlantis predominates, in the latter Laparocerus i the 
whole of the species are peculiar to these islands. Acalles (in- 
cluding Echinodrea) is represented by 36 species in the Atlantic 
islands, the whole of Europe having only about 27. The genus 
Homalota is represented by 43 species, and TarpMus by 34. 
Helops has 27 species, Calathus 23 (19 peculiar to the Canaries), 
Attains 22, and HegeteVj LongitarsuSj and Dromius 20 species 
each. 
Some of the deficiencies are also singular. Thus the Ce- 
toniideSj sparingly represented in the Canaries, are wanting in 
the Madeiras, where also the Elateridce are represented only by a 
single obscure species belonging to the genus Coptostethus, 6 
species of which are the sole examples of this great family in 
the Canaries. The allied Bupi'estidce also, of which 6 Canarian 
