138 ON THE GOLIATHIDEOUS CETONIID® 
Spears XI1.—Heterorhina elegans (P\. 35, fig. 2,3, 4, 5, and 6, with the details). 
Cetonia elegans, Fabricius, Olivier (nee Gory and Perchéron, pl. 20, fig. 2, from Oware, 
= C. stigma Pal. B.) 
Cetonia cuprea, Herbst, col. iii., tab. 29, fig. 5. 
Gnathocera micans, Guérin. Rév. Zool., 1840, p. 80 (variety). 
Coryphe cyanoptera, Hope MSS. (variety). 
This is a very variable and brilliant insect, the variations consisting not only in difference of 
size, colours, and markings, but also in punctation, and even in form and structure, no two 
specimens being exactly alike; some being very much smaller and narrower than others of the 
same size; thus some males are very narrow, and others short and broad. The front of the 
head is more or less produced in the middle of the clypeus, the produced part being reflexed 
and generally slightly bifid; the crown of the head is carinated, the carina terminating in 
both sexes in a transverse tubercle ; this, however, is sometimes almost, and even entirely, 
obsolete. The maxille have the inner lobe more or less acutely toothed, and the upper lobe, 
as in the last species, obliquely truncate at the tip ; the mentum is deeply emarginate in front ; 
the mesosternal process is moderately elongated and obtuse (fig. 4a, 46); the abdomen of the 
male is deeply channeled down the middle beneath ; the anterior tibie of the males are 
slightly sub-bidentate, the apex being very acute, and the females broad and acutely bidentate. 
The four hind tibie differ in the size of the central spurs, which are sometimes obsolete; the 
hind pair also differs in the size and colour of the brush of hairs at its extremity on the inside. 
The pseudonychiz are very minute. Individuals differ also very much in the punctation of the 
elytra, the punctures being sometimes nearly as strong as in the males of H. leta, and some- 
times almost obsolete. Almost every shade of green is exhibited by different specimens, and 
others are of a rich golden, and some of an intense purple-blue. The colour of the exposed 
part of the posterior coxe varies from black and green to fulvous red ; the tibize also vary from 
cyaneous to green and castaneous. The black spots at the shoulders and tips of the elytra are 
also variable. 
My figure 2 represents the Gnathocera micans of Guérin, which I cannot but consider asa 
male variety of this species, differing in having the front projection of the clypeus entire at the 
tip (fig. 2a) ; the tubercle at the extremity of the carina is dilated at the tip.; body rather 
narrow ; the elytra without any humeral or apical black patches ; the exposed part of the 
metacoxe concolorous ; the fascicle of hairs on the hind tibiz dark brown ; and the punctures 
of the elytra distinct. Fig. 2b represents the maxilla, and 2¢ the fore tibie of this individual. 
I am indebted to M. Guérin Meneville for sending me his typical specimen of this insect from 
Paris. It is from the Neilgherries. 
My figure 3 represents the smallest and narrowest male which I have seen, contained in the 
collection of F. Parry, Esq. The front of the clypeus has the projection so slightly bifid as 
to appear at first sight entire. The carina is very slight, and terminates in an impression 
without any raised tubercle (fig. 3a); the elytra are very strongly punctured, and without any 
black humeral or apical spots; the exposed part of the metacoxe red. The femora have a 
fulvous tint, and the tibie are castaneous, with a green tinge; the hairs on the hind tibize are 
fulvous, the hind feet having the brush scarcely distinct. 
My figure 4 represents another variety of the male, of very broad form, having the upper 
surface of an intense cyaneous purple, and the exposed part of the metacoxe red; the legs are 
black, and the hairs on the hind tibie dark brown. Fig. 4a and 4b represent the mesosternal 
process, and 4c the front of the head of this specimen, which is in the collection of the Rev. 
F. W. Hope. 
My fig. 5 represents the front of the head of another specimen, in the collection of F. Parry, 
Ksq., of a similar broad form to figure 4, but without any horn at the extremity of the carina, 
which is terminated bya transverse depression. This specimen is a male, of a rich green 
colour, with small humeral and apical black spots, and the metacoxe concolorous. Figure 6 a 
represents the front of the head of an ordinary female, 6 6 the maxilla of the same, and 6d the 
anterior tibie. 
A small female of this species, collected by Colonel Hearsey in Central India, of a rich 
golden colour tinged with green, with the exposed part of the metacoxe black, has the dise of 
the elytra much more arched than ordinary, with a slightly elevated ridge extending from the 
inside of the apical black patch half up the elytra, parallel with the suture. 
The original specimens, described by Fabricius, are preserved in the Banksian Collection at 
the Linnzan Society ; one is green, the other golden green, both having the exposed part of 
the metacoxe red, without any humeral black spot, and the apical ones dark green instead of 
black ; both are males, with brown tufts of hair at the extremity of the posterior tibic. 
As Mr. Mac Leay describes the clypeus of Cetonia elegans, Fab., as having no horn in the 
male, it is probable that he mistook the species. 
