able to the entomological student of Auckland. I am now, however, so far as the means at my command will permit, preparing such a collection as will materially aid in providing that desideratum. Some two years ago I forwarded a case of New Zealand Coleoptera to Dr. Sharp, the entomologist of Dumfrieshire, and, perhaps, I may be permitted to quote from some of his letters to me on the subject. In one he states:—"I have received your box, which contains about one hundred and sixty species, by far the greater number of which are unknown to science, and therefore undescribed." In another, dated the 18th September last, he informs me:—"I am packing up your lot of Coleoptera, named, so far as I have been able to accomplish it. As regards the Curculionidæ, I have failed to identify more than a few species. Mr. Wollaston has described the Cossonides, and as there were, amongst your lot, two specimens of a very interesting new genus of the group, he has described them under the name of Mesoxenophasis brouni." On the arrival of that case of insects I shall deposit in the Museum duplicates of all that have been named. I afterwards forwarded two other cases of beetles to the same gentleman, containing about nine hundred specimens of upwards of one hundred species, and have no doubt the result will be equally satisfactory.
I have also corresponded with Captain Hutton, F.L.S., of the Dunedin Museum, on the subject, and he, having intimated his desire to assist me, I sent him nearly fifteen hundred specimens, on 5th January last, for distribution amongst such entomologists in England as might be willing to undertake the task of naming and describing them, stipulating that one named individual of each species should be returned to me in order that I might place duplicates of these also in the Museum. I am indebted to Mr. Wakefield for much valuable assistance, as also a collection of about a hundred of such species as occur in Canterbury or other of the Middle Island Provinces, which will enable me to institute a comparison with ours.
I may premise the details of my subject by the observation that, in comparison with the Coleoptera of India, and particularly Burmah, where I collected, in the year 1857, those of this country must ever appear insignificant as to size, and singularly destitute of the brilliant metallic colours so characteristic of the order; nevertheless, our beetles are by no means to be despised, as they exhibit a variety of forms that will always prove a source of interest to the studious, and, I may add, of pleasure, even to those who display but little inclination to study the works of the Creator, as exhibited by this beautiful order of insects.
Taking the different classes in rotation, we have, first of all, the
Geodephaga.
The predaceous ground-beetles are divided into two distinct groups or
