144 INSECTS ABROAD. 



of M. C. Sommer, Esq., of Altoua, who forwarded the insect to 

 Mr. Westwood for description iu his beautiful work, " Arcana 

 Entomologica." 



Tlie genus Inca may fairly be considered as representing in 

 tropical America the Goliaths of Africa and India, which so 

 closely resemble it in the horn-like projections of the head that 

 It might readily be taken for one of those insects. These horns 

 only belong to the male, the head of the female being perfectly 

 plain. In colour they are black, and they are furnished with a 

 dense coat of orange fur, as shown in the illustration. The 

 tliorax is rich green with a velvety lustre, and has several 



g^-*-^ 



Fig 68. — Inca Sominerii. 

 (Velvet green, yellow stripes and spots.) 



yellow stripes upon it. The elytra are also green, and covered 

 with a number of small yeUow spots. The legs are dull green, 

 and it is of the same colour below, the thighs being sprinkled 

 with reddish fur like that on the head. 



This is an exceedingly variable insect. In the British 

 Museum there is one specimen which is entirely without yellow 

 spots, and another yellowish with green spots. Those which 

 were sent by Mr. Sommer, and are described in the " Arcana 

 Entomologica," had blue-black head and thorax with whitish 

 stripes, the scuteUum green, and the elytra purple green. It 

 is as variable in size as in colour, but a fine male specimen 

 measures about two inches in length, the female appearing 

 smaller on account of the absence of head- horns. 



The Tncas, of which there are a tolerable number of species, 



