u 
To this list, several additions will be made in a 
short time, when the results of an excursion to 
Methven Bog and Almondbankj alluded to at last 
meeting, have been identified, 
Mr Marker said that this list was necessarily a very 
incomplete one, and must only be regarded as the 
foundation of future researches.* 
In accordance with the programme of this series of 
papers, he noticed a most striking peculiarity in the 
structure of some meml^ers ef this group of beetles. 
He said—in examining one family of Geodephaga, the 
Carabi, you will meet with the singular fact that 
most, if not all the species included, possess only 
rudimentary wings, so short and deformed^ as to be 
perfectly useless for the purpose of flight. You will 
further find that in one insect, Cychrus r(hstratus, the 
elytra are soldered together, and deflexed at the 
margins, so that were the wings ever so well de^ 
veloped, the insect would be unable to use them, 
since it could not separate and raise its elytra to 
allow them necessary action. I think I find still 
further that in one Carahus^ although the elytra are 
separate, yet owing to a peculiar process of the pro= 
notum of the thorax, the insect would be unable to 
raise its elytra. We can only account for the Carahi 
possessing these rudimentary wings, on the hypothesis 
of loss by disuse, combined with natural selection. 
The same thing is the case in Madeira, as Mr 
Wollaston has discovered ; and Mr Darwin shows in 
his remarks on the fact, in the ‘‘Origin of Species,” 
how this has probably been brought about; and to 
the work itself I must refer for full details. 
Note —In ad<Ution to the above-mentioned 42 species found 
by Mr Harker, at least 30 other species of Geodephaga 
have been taken in Perthshire: A list of these, with 
the additions that are sure to be made, will be pub¬ 
lished hereafter. • 
