- 
294 Mr. D. Sharp on the species 
America use the wing-cases of this large beetle for 
ornament, piercing them with a hole at the humeral 
angle, and threading them so as to form anklets and 
armlets; on examining elytra taken from such an 
anklet, sent by Mr. Harper to the Museum at Thornhill, 
I find that the wing-cases have apparently been taken 
from the typical form of the species such as is found at 
Cayenne. Although, on account of its polished thorax 
and dark colour, this form appears very distinct at first 
sight, yet it varies somewhat towards the dark varieties 
of the typical form, and I have no doubt specimens may 
be found completely connecting the two. It is worthy of 
remark that in this form, owing perhaps to the diminu- 
tion of sculpture, the head between the eyes is traversed 
by a quite distinct, acutely angulate transverse suture. 
This is all the more important, as Lacordaire has de- 
clared (Gen. Col. iv., p. 4, note 1), that “‘in the Buprestide, 
as in all the Sterno.xi, without any exception, the epistome 
is never separated from the front by a distinct suture.” 
Buprestis gigantea shows numerous variations in the 
extent of the sculpture on the ventral segments, but this 
seems to be a less constant character than those I have 
mentioned above, except that in the third form the 
sculpture and pubescence on the ventral segment is 
always more diminished than in the other forms. In all 
specimens of the species the ventral segments are 
densely punctate at the base on each side, and the 
punctate portions bear a very fine pubescence; these 
‘patches of sculpture extend inwards, and so become 
more or less distinctly united to form a band across the 
base of each plate, and they also have a greater or less 
extension towards the hind margin of each segment. 
2. Buprestis goliath. — According to the specimens 
before me, this species varies much in colour, somewhat 
in sculpture, and a little in the form and depth of the 
notch of the fifth ventral segment. The discoidal 
patches of dark colour are very distinct, and are dull, 
but in some of the more brilliantly coloured examples 
become slightly shining; these patches are always 
surrounded with a ring of coppery colour, which some- 
times extends to the edges of the thorax, but in other 
cases shades off into green. In one individual from 
Chontales, the colour of all the upper surface is nearly 
black, and the metallic colour surrounding the discoidal 
