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Show 222 MR. F. P. PASCOE ON THE COLEOPTERA OF PENANG. [May 8, 6. Catalogue of Longicorn Coleoptera, collected in the Island of Penang by James L a m b , Esq. By F R A N C I S P. PASCOE, F.L.S., F.Z.S., & c , late Pres. Ent. Soc. (Part I.) (Plates XXVI., XXVIL, XXVIII.) Penang is a small island about sixteen miles long, in latitude between 5° and 6° N., separated from the mainland of Malacca by a channel two miles in breadth. A narrow strip of the coast opposite the island is known as " Province Wellesley ;" and it is within the limits of these two that this collection was formed. The insects are not ticketed ; so it is impossible for me to say which came from the mainland and which from the island. The total number of species in the collection is about 212 ; but as some of these are single specimens, which are either very obscure or in a poor condition, I have had to content myself with merely indicating their places in the catalogue. If we consider that the Longiccrns in their perfect state are generally short-lived, and that a great majority of the species frequent particular plants or families of plants, so that only where these plants occur can we expect to find the insects, it will be readily understood how this limited range and brief existence must make it almost impossible for any collector to obtain more than a portion of those that inhabit even a moderately extensive district. And thus it is that sometimes perhaps half the species of a large collection are represented each by one or two individuals only. The number of species, therefore, and the many superb novelties which Mr. Lamb has had the good fortune to capture, whilst it excites our admiration, shows us how much more might be expected if all those rich tropical lands were as thoroughly worked by entomologists as Europe has been. A few years ago all, with the exception of about fourteen, would have been new to science; even now not less than 98 are described for the first time, leaving 26 for further observation, the greater part of which are also probably new. Of these, 19 are types of entirely new genera, out of the total of 110. But to these, three more must be added, previously found by Mr. Wallace, but not yet published-Ame-sisa, Ephies, and Cyriopalus. Two genera are European (Mesosa and Mgosoma), with species extending to North China; six (Praonetha, Olenecamptus, Astathes, Philus, Dere, and Pyrestes) belong to North China and Northern India, but are not found in Europe (the first is also Australian) ; four (Coptops*, Cerosterna, Glenea, and Megopis) have representatives in Africa; Xystrocera and Sybra are African and Australian ; while Atimura is the only genus confined to and belonging to both the Australian and Malayan regions. Not less than eight of the exclusively Malayan genera are found in New * Coplbps abdominalis, White, from North Australia, is a species of AZgomomus, apparently identical, for the specimen is much worn, with M. insularis, an insect very generally distributed over th£ Malayan archipelago. |