494 GEOGKAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. [part iv. 



CETONIID.E. (120 Genera, 970 Species.) 



As representative of the enormous group of the Lamellicorns, 

 which, according to continental entomologists, forms a single 

 family numbering nearly 7,000 species, we take tlie Cetoniidae 

 or Eose-Chafers. These comprise a number of the most bril- 

 liant and beautifully-coloured insects, including the gigantic 

 Goliathi, which are among the largest of known beetles. They 

 have been assiduously collected in every part of the world, and 

 their classification has been elaborated by many of our most 

 eminent entomologists. 



The Cetoniidae are especially abundant in tropical and warm 

 countries, yet far more so in the Old "World than in the New ; 

 and in the Old World, the Etliiopian region exhibits a marvellous 

 richness in this family, no less than 76 genera being found there, 

 while 64, or more than half the total number, are peculiar to it. 

 Next in richness, though still very far behind, comes the Oriental 

 region, with 29 genera, 17 of which are peculiar. The Neo- 

 tropical has only 14 genera, but all except two are peculiar to it, 

 and one of these is not found out of the New World. The 

 Australian region has 11 genera, three only being peculiar. 

 The Palajarctic region has 13, with 4 peculiar; the Nearctic 7, 

 with 2 peculiar. The affinities of the regions for each other, as 

 indicated by the genera confined to two adjacent regions, are in 

 this family somewhat peculiar. The Ethiopian and Oriental 

 show the most resemblance, 6 genera being common and peculiar 

 to the two ; the Oriental and the Australian are unusually well 

 contrasted, having only one genus exclusively in common, while 

 8 genera are found in the Indo-Malay Islands which do not 

 cross the boundary to the Austro-Malayan division, and several 

 others only pass to the nearest adjacent islands ; on the other hand, 

 the only large Australian genus, Schizurhina, is found in many 

 parts of the Moluccas, but not further west. The Australian 

 and Neotropical regions exhibit no direct affinity, the nearest 

 ally to the South American Gymnetidse being Clinteria, an 

 African and Asiatic genus ; while not a single genus is common 



