208 Rev. F. W. Hope’s Descriptions of 
XXX. Descriptions of various new Species of Buprestide 
from Australia. By the Rev. F. W. Hops. 
[Read July 1, 1844.] 
Peruars no two groups of insects exhibit the wonderfully rapid 
increase of Entomology more than the Cetoniad@ and Buprestide ; 
the former have lately occupied much of the attention of the con- 
tinental writers, and the latter have not altogether been disre- 
garded. To the exertions of the Comte de Castelnau, Messieurs 
Gory and Solier of Marseilles, we are indebted for the descrip- 
tions of a vast number of species; and although I myself some 
few years back gave a synopsis of the species belonging to New 
Holland, and have since added various others, I am now enabled, 
from some valuable arrivals from Capt. Roe, of Swan River, 
and Mr. Fortnum, of Adelaide, to add many others; more than 
fifty species have reached me, the major part of them are now 
described; and if the whole are not now given, it is merely be- 
cause some of them are too imperfect to describe, and others may 
be regarded as too closely allied to species, or varieties of others, 
previously described. 
I regret to add that two of the most beautiful have nearly been 
devoured by ants, but I yet expect to receive others in a more 
perfect state, when they will be figured. 
From examining a vast number of individuals from the different 
settlements, I think it will eventually be found, that although some 
species range over nearly the whole of that continent, yet the loca~ 
lities of Swan’ River, Port Essington, Sidney and Adelaide, have 
each of them a particular Entomological Fauna, and it is worthy of 
remark that, in many instances, each locality offers peculiar spe- 
cies greatly resembling those of other and opposite parts of the 
island. 
Mr. MacLeay informs me that he has amassed a great number 
of new species, and it is to be hoped that, residing in the metro- 
politan region of Buprestis, his valuable observations on their 
Jarvee and habits may soon be committed to the press. If, in ad- 
dition to the above species now described, several others which 
are not yet pinned should be found in the mass of insects lately 
received, they can be added in a future supplement. 
Sp. 1. Chrysodema gigas, Hope. 
Viridis, thorace feré quadrato, rugoso-punctato; elytris qua- 
