92 Dr. G. B. Longstaff on some lionomic points 



thorax and elytra breaking up the dark ground-colour and 

 simulatino^ the sfeneral look of the anthers of the flower. 

 Another small Cetoniid, Sirinfjojjhorns Jlavipennis, G. and 

 P., occurred on the same flowers and its elytra bear similar 

 spots. Together with these were two specimens of a third 

 and still smaller Cetoniid, Corny thovalgus fasciculatus, 

 Schonh., which were quite difficult to distinguish, but in 

 this case the means of concealment was different, for the 

 thorax and elytra bear numerous conical, horny projections, 

 while there are two conical tufts of scales near the apex 

 of the abdomen. 



Two larger species, Bhahdotis {Pachnoda) sohrina, G. 

 and P., dark olive-brown and white, and Ilacroma cognata, 

 Schonh., dark chocolate-brown and canary-yellow, both 

 seemed conspicuous enough, the one at the sweet white 

 flowers of Domhcia, the other on the wing, but I strongly 

 suspect that in their case too, when on an appropriate 

 background the breaking up of the dark colour by light 

 markings aids concealment. 



With Gainetis haUcata, De G., the case is different. This 

 beetle is black and red, or perhaps orange-brown more 

 correctly describes its decoration. At East London, on one 

 of the tributaries of the Buffalo River, there grows a profu- 

 sion of a climbing composite with greenish -white flowers, a 

 plant in general habit and appearance very suggestive of 

 Clematis vitcdha, L. On one of these plants I took a 

 number of specimens of two species of Hajjloli/ciis, which 

 are represented in the National Collection but as yet 

 unnamed. These Malacoderms have the usual Lycus 

 coloration, viz. orange-brown with the apical two-fifths 

 of the elytra black, and a black stripe down the middle of 

 the thorax. On the same day, on another bush of the 

 same climbing composite growing a hundred yards higher 

 up the stream, I took an example of Gamctis haltcata, De 

 G., and was at once struck by the striking resemblance of 

 the two insects. I may remind any Fellows who are not 

 familiar with living specimens of beetles of the Lycus group, 

 that during life the orange-brown colour is much redder 

 than might be supposed from cabinet specimens, whereas 

 the Cetoniid preserves its colour well. 



The very next day Dr. Dixey saw both these beetles in 

 some numbers (3 Jlcqylolyens and 8 Gamctis) in the Queen's 

 Park on and about a flowering tree and noted their simi- 

 larity. With them were two specimens of a Lycoid-coloured 



