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 Compositse, 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 Tanyrhynchidae, 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 Trachyphloeidae are 
represented by a single species belonging to a peculiar genus 
not very remote from a European form. The Anthribidae 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, Acarodes, 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 Haplothorax burchellii, 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. HETEROMERA. — 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. Br achy elytra. — Of this group there are six peculiar 
