whether it is indigenous to
both, and dates back to the remote period when St. Helena received its
early emigrants. All the Cossonidae 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 Compositae, and other indigenous 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 Cossonidae.
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 temperate 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 {300} 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 Opatridae, Mordellidae, and Anthicidae.

4. BRACHYELYTRA.--Of this group there are six peculiar species belonging to
four European genera--Homalota, Philonthus, Xantholinus, and Oxytelus.

5. PRIOCERATA.--The families Elateridae and Anobiidae are each represented
by a peculiar species of a European genus.

6. PHYTOPHAGA.--There are only three species of this tribe, belonging to
the European genus Longitarsus.

7. LAMELLICORNIS.--Here ar