190 INSECTS ABEOAD. 



The present species inhabits many parts of Africa, specimens 

 in the British Museum having been brought from Egypt, Abys- 

 sinia, &c. The colour of the insect is black, but the thorax is so 

 thickly covered with yellow hair that at first sight it seems to 

 be yellow instead of black. The rather globular elytra are 

 covered with little rounded knobs, running in parallel rows ; and 

 just at the edge, if we may so call it, where the elytra turn over 

 the abdomen, there is a row of spikes radiating from a common 

 centre like the rays of a coronet. The disc or middle of the 

 elytra is plain black, but the rest is clothed with long yellow 

 hairs, scattered rather sparingly over the surface, and without 

 any aj)parent attempt at arrangement. 



Fin. 90.— Prionotheca coronaw. 

 (Black, reddish down on feet.' 



Like the body, the legs are black, and are profusely though 

 finely granulated. There is one peculiarity about them which 

 is at once conspicuous ; namely, the presence of a quantity of 

 orange silken down upon the tarsi of all the legs. Beneath, the 

 insect is dvill black, and over the surface a small quantity ot 

 similar down is sparingly scattered. 



In the British Museum there is an insect belonging to this 

 genus which is considered to be a new species. It has a black 

 head and thorax, and reddish brown elytra surrounded with a 

 row of very small spikes. It was taken out of a Sinaitic 

 mummy by Dr. Birch, of the British Museum. Whether or not 

 it really be a distinct species I can hardly say, because the 

 difference of colour could easily be caused by its long sojourn 

 in the mummy. 



