natural, history

Issued 15. December 1958.23. COLEOPTERA (PARS)BYJ. BAL FOU R- BROWN E (Ed.)DEPARTMF'T OF F'TIl\IOLOGY. BRITISH \1CSEL'M ('AT. HIST.)The beetles of a number of families, collected by the Danish Rennell Expedition of1951 and the British Museum (Natural History) Expedition of 1953, have been. studied by specialists in each family. In many cases only very few specimens wereobtained of only a few species, none of which are undescribed. The result has beenthat a number of lists recording the occurrence of species on Rennell Island wereobtained which did not lend themselves conveniently to publishing as they stood.At the request of Dr. TOR BEN WOLFF I have amalgamated these lists into a singleone with the families arranged in their systematic order. Apart from the papers onCistelidae, Tenebrionidae and Curculionidae, published by F. D. BUCK and G. A. K.MARSHALL, there remain a small number of families in which determinations havenot yet been possible.The species listed below cannot provide much useful information as to the originsof the fauna of Rennell Island. They are largely species which have an extensivedistribution through New Guirka. the Solomon Islands and Australia. Very muchmore intensive collecting of beetles on Rennell Island would be required before anyinformation of value concerning the origins of the fauna would be obtainable.This list is compiled from separate lists provided by the following authorities. towhom I am indebted.Mr. E. B. BRITTON (London): Cicindelidae, Carabidae, ScarabareidaeMr. W.O. STEEL (Maidenhead): StaphylinidaeProf. H. F. STROHECKER (Miami): EndomychidaeMr. R. D. POPE (London): CoccinellidaeMr. E.A.J. DUFFY (London): Meloidae, Prionidae, Cerambycidae, Lamiidae,Scolytidae, PlatypodidaeMr. S. SHAW (Manchester): BrenthidaeMr. G.E.BRYANT (London): Chrysomelidae.I am myself responsible for the Hydrophilidae.Where not otherwise stated all localities are on Rennell Island, British Solomon Is.127