( 81 ) IV. The Rhynchophorous Goleoptera of Japan. Part IV.* Otiorhynchidse and Sitonides, and a genus of doubtful position from the Kurile Islands. By David Sharp, M.A., M.B., F.R.S., etc. [Read February 5th, 1896.] Although the collections of Goleoptera made by Mr. Lewis in Japan are of great interest, and are the base of almost all that we know of the Bhynchophora of Japan, yet it is, I think, tolerably certain that as regards the GurcuUonidai proper — as distinguished from Anthrihidse, Scohjtidx, and Brenthidse — they are very incomplete, and I am inclined to believe that the Otiorhynchidie of Japan will prove to be twice or three times more numerous in species than the lists made from Mr, Lewis's collections will show. Under these circumstances it appears scarcely worth while to discuss the question of geographical distribution, particularly as our knowledge of the Rhynchophora of China, of Korea, of Mongolia, and the region round the mouth of the Amur, is very small indeed. I may, however, remark that the Japanese Otiorhynchldai have very little affinity with those of the European region. I here enumerate fifty-eight species belonging to twenty-six genera. Not one of the species is the same as an European one ; while of the twenty-six genera fifteen appear at present to be peculiar to Japan, and only five have representatives in Europe, and of these five it is tolerably certain that four will prove to be more charac-teristic of Eastern Asia than of the paleearctic region proper. The genus Otiorhynchiis is the most character-istic genus of the Mediterranean Curculionidous fauna, where it has altogether nearly six hundred species ; but it is not represented in Japan. Indeed, the only points that appear to give this section of the Japanese fauna any claim to connection with the European one is the existence of a considerable number of species of * Part I., see the Transactions for 1889 ; Part IT., Transactions, 1891 ; Part III. (by W. F. H. Blandford), Transactions for 1894. TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1896. — PART I. (mARCH.) 6
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