2 
INTRODUCTION. 
and adjusted to the peculiar nature of the country in which they are placed, that 
we cannot resist the conclusion that, whatever may have been the extent or con¬ 
dition of that ancient continent of which these several Atlantic clusters are the 
sure witnesses, that portion of it at any rate which the Madeiras may be supposed 
to represent was not only singularly rich in creations adapted specially to itself, 
but also that the various forms must have migrated but very slightly ere the land 
of passage was destroyed,—seeing that many of them had apparently not even 
reached those points of its area which are now the detached portions of the actual 
group. That this is really a fact, we may appeal, inter alia, to such insects as the 
Tarphii (only a single one of which, out of 15, occurs beyond Madeira proper), to 
Argutor and Trechus (of the same island), to Acalles (of which 12 members, out 
of 13, belong to the central mass), to the aberrant Atlantides and the Anemophili 
(almost exclusively Porto Santan), or to Deucalion (which reigns supreme on the 
nearly inaccessible heights of the two southern Dezertas). 
Although it is of course possible that some few out of the 270 species, and even 
of the 41 genera, which I have treated as novelties, may have been already made 
known, yet I believe it will be found, on inspection, that such instances are rare; 
whilst concerning the claims of the majority of them, being apparently of an 
endemic nature, there cannot be the slightest doubt. In addition to these 270 
species, there are 11 which had been previously characterized as Madeiran; thus 
raising the entire number to 281,—which, out of 482, it must be admitted is a 
large proportion to possess even the chance of being peculiar to these islands. The 
genera of the present volume amount, in all, to 213 : one of these ( Cossyplioiles ) 
had been lately described as Madeiran ; and 9 at least (namely Calobius, Dactylo- 
sternum, Xenostrongylus, Metophthalmus, Microchondrus, Pecteropus, Deucalion, 
Arthrolips and Macrostethus), out of the 41 which are indicated as new, I have 
reason to suspect have exponents elsewhere, — which reduces the modifications 
which may, or may not, be endemic (but the larger portion of which probably are) 
to 34. Amongst these 34, perhaps the most remarkable are Zargus, Cossyphodes, 
Europe, Aphan arthrum, Leipartlirum, Echinosoma, Xenorchestes, Glceosoma, and 
Ellipsodes. 
It null be seen, on a reference to the Systematic Catalogue of this work, that the 
total absence of numerous genera (and even of whole families) which are looked 
upon as all but universal, constitutes one of the most striking features in our 
entomological fauna. Thus, incredible though it may seem, not so much as a 
solitary witness of the Cicindelidce, Euprestidce or Pselaphidce has hitherto been 
brought to light; whilst the great genera Carabus*, Nebria*, Silplia, Necro- 
* In Dejean’s Catalogue there is a Carabus registered as Madeiran, under the name of C. interrupt us ; 
and a Nebria under that of N. dilatata : but, as no vestige of either one genus or the other has conic 
beneath my notice, and since they have totally escaped the researches of the Eev. It. T. Lowe for a period 
of twenty-six years, as also of the late Dr. Heinecken and of every other naturalist (so far as I am aware) 
subsequently ; 1 have not the slightest hesitation in pronouncing Dejean’s insects (whatsoever they were) 
