CETONIIN.^E. 29 



lines. The inavkiug is almost tihvays accompanied on the lower 

 surface by more massive light patches upon the side pieces of the 

 thorax and the sides of the first four abdominal segments. 



The two types of pattern sometimes occur together, the super- 

 ficial powdery markings overlying an arrangement of two colours 

 in the inner layers of the integument and so producing a triple 

 colour-scheme, Tliis is frequent in the genus Macronota, in which 

 the evolution of pattern reaches its furthest limit in Lamellicorn 

 beetles. In several species of the genus complex patterns of 

 black and red underlie still more complex traceries of white or 

 yellow. In Macronota m'sus and M. westwoodi the pattern is pro- 

 duced by a long dense covering of black and orange hairs, which, 

 together with the shape of the body, bring about an extraordinarily 

 close resemblance to two species of Humble Bees inhabiting the 

 same district as the beetles. Few more striking, or more obviously 

 useful, instances of mimicry than these could be found. In some 

 of the other species of the genus, entirely different in appearance 

 but closely similar in structure, a peculiar iridescent sheen upon 

 the long narrow elytra, the partly uncovered yellow- or white- 

 banded abdomen, and the general form of the body suggest a 

 mimetic resemblance to wasps or bees which observation of the 

 insects in nature may or may not confirm. Various species of 

 CBTONiiN.i: are known to be unpalatable to birds and other insecti- 

 vorous animals, and it can hardly be doubted that the boldly 

 contrasted colours of many species, such as CUnieria imperialis 

 and Glycosla tricolor, are warning colours for advertising this 

 inedible quality. 



In the ValgijSti another type of decoration appears, the whole 

 or greater part of the body being covered with scales or set£e of 

 large size relatively to that of the body and of more or less 

 diversified colours, ranging from white, through all shades of 

 yellow and brown, to black. These scales or setae are very liable 

 to abrasion, leaving the underlying uniformly black or brown 

 surface exposed. 



Hahits and Metamorplwses. 



With the remarkable exception of a Tropical American genus, 

 Inca, the larvae of which were recently found by Dr. Ohaus to have 

 the power of climbing trees, the larvae of Cetonitn^ do not differ in 

 any important particular from those of DrNASTiN^E or Rutelin.e, 

 so far as they are at present known. Like those of nearly all 

 Lamellicornia,they are inactive and live concealed, generally under- 

 ground, where they feed upon roots, decaying wood or vegetable 

 debris. The habits of the more peculiar genera of the Indian 

 fauna are still unknown, and the only information vv-hich I have 

 been able to obtain on this subject concerns those genera which, 

 besides India, inhabit Europe or other parts of the world. 

 M. Fabre* has described the life-histoi'ies of Cetonia, Proto-tia and 



* Souvenirs Entomologiques, vol. viil. 



