92 Rev. F. W. Hope's Observations on the Genus Cassida, 



subulata multo superantibus, filamentis basi dilatatis uno cum 

 corollse basi in annulum circa capsulam coalitis. Wight, Cat. 

 n. 2441. 

 Hah. in montibus Peninsulse australioribus, Wight. 

 [To be continued.] 



XL — Observations on the Tortoise or Shield Beetles, commonly 

 denominated Cassida by Linnceus, with the Characters of 

 Six New Genera. By the Rev. F. W. Hope, F.R.S., F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S.5 and Member of various Foreign Societies. 

 [With a Plate.] 



Of late years, amongst Coleopterous Insects, the Adephaga 

 have engaged much of the attention of entomologists, proba- 

 bly because they stand foremost in the artificial arrangement 

 of modern authors ; there are however some remarkable ex- 

 ceptions to the contrary, such as the Curculionidw now in pro- 

 gress of publication by the illustrious Schonherr, the Ceto- 

 niadce and Buprestidce by Gory and Percheron, and also the 

 Heteromera by Sober. Other groups, however, have been com- 

 paratively neglected, and particularly the Cassidoidea. I pur- 

 pose therefore in the present paper to examine the group, and 

 suggest the adoption of some new genera, to be classed under 

 the family of Cassidce, so named by Dr. Leach. Cassida of 

 Linnaeus is very rich in species. It presents us with singu- 

 larly grotesque and varied forms, and if we look more parti- 

 cularly to the larvae, no less remarkable will they be found in 

 their earlier stages than in their complete development. The 

 larvae sometimes assume the appearance of vegetation, some 

 imitating in that state the squamae of the fir cones, others 

 again the filamentous appearance of plants and lichens. The 

 entire group which I term Cassidoidea is composed of several 

 families and is confined to no particular country. Several of 

 the forms which predominate in the New World have not 

 their counterpart in the Old World, at least as far as we know 

 at present. The European species with their larvae and habits 

 have been ably described by Roesel Reaumur, DeGeer, and 

 others. Our indigenous British species early attracted the atten- 

 tion of my friend the Rev. Wm. Kirby, three of which, with their 



