1907.] Catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa. 323 



is usually short, sometimes even only angular. This character dis- 

 tinguishes the Cetonini from the Ageniini, Myodermini, and Valgini, 

 in which these processes are wanting. The spurs, set close to each 

 other, are inserted in the outer angle. Another important character 

 is the presence of a sternal process formed by the meso- and meta- 

 sternum, and which may be very long, plane, arcuate or hamate, 

 porrect or declivous, projecting much beyond the coxae, only 

 moderately projecting, or truncate in front in a line with the coxae. 

 This sternal process is occasionally present in the Ageniini 

 (Stripsipher), but in the Cetonini the only exception is that of 

 Xiphoscelis, one of the most aberrant genera of the Tribe, and in 

 which this process is absent, the mesosternum being broadly grooved 

 longitudinally in front, resembling thus that of some Myodermini, 

 with which Xiphoscelis is undoubtedly connected, but even in this 

 case the metasternum emits a slender carinulate process penetrating 

 well into the base of the coxas. The greatest part of this sternal 

 process is produced by the intrusion in a more or less aculeate form 

 between the intermediate coxae of the metasternum, the point of which 

 is fused with the base of the mesosternum, which is thus thrust 

 forwards. In many cases there are plain traces of a transverse or 

 arcuate suture dividing the two, in many cases also it is totally 

 obliterated ; in most Leucocelites this suture is quite apical, and the 

 sternal process is thus marginate. 



In many species the sexual differences are very great ; in the 

 majority of cases, however, the two sexes are alike. The Cetonides 

 comprise some of the most brilliantly clad species of Coleoptera, but 

 the species of Cremastochi tides have seldom bright colours. 



The division of this Tribe into natural groups is a most difficult 

 one, as, owing to the great affinities that many genera have in several 

 directions, it is well-nigh impossible to assign them one place only 

 in a synoptic table. Their arrangement is thus arbitrary. Burmeister 

 endeavoured to characterise his groups more fully than he did in his 

 " Handbuch der Entomologie," but he admitted himself his partial 

 failure by not doing so ; Lacordaire's arrangement seems more 

 natural, yet it is unsatisfactory on the whole. 



Kolbe has proposed a division into two distinct groups according 

 to the facies coupled with the shape of the basal joint of the hind tarsi. 



The massive or somewhat massive species, the basal joint of the 

 hind tarsi of which is angular and acuminate or even spinose out- 

 wardly on the upper side, he places among the Prototypic Cetonides. 



The plane, elongated species, with usually long tarsi, the basal 

 one of which is small, short, and obtuse at apex, come in the True 

 Cetonides. 



