354 Mr. G. J. Arrow on the 



XLIII. — On the Ruteline Coleoptera of Ceylon, with Descrip- 

 tions of new Species. By Gilbert J. Arrow. 



(Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 



In a list of eleven species of Rutelinse from Ceylon, published 

 by my friend Dr. Ohaus in 1900, the author has remarked 

 that all but a single species (of Adoretus) occur also upon 

 the mainland of India. Dr. Ghaus's list, of course, was not 

 intended as a complete one, and his determinations require 

 revision ; but, lest the statement referred to should be 

 regarded by any student of zoogeographical or faunistic 

 problems as containing a general principle, it seems desirable 

 to emphasize the fact that the study of much ampler materials 

 than those available to Dr. Ghaus has produced results 

 pointing in an opposite direction. 



Having had the opportunity of studying fairly numerous 

 examples of the Eutelinse of Ceylon collected by Messrs. 

 E. E. Green, George Lewis, W. Braine, and others, I have 

 been able to draw up a list of nearly treble the length of 

 that of Dr. Ohaus, and with considerable surprise, in view of 

 my previous study of the Cetoniin?e and Dynastinae of the 

 island, I have found that the very large majority of the 

 species are peculiar to Ceylon, so far as can be at present 

 determined. Of the whole number of thirty-one species here 

 enumerated, only seven can be said with certainty to occur 

 elsewhere. This large proportion of indigenous species will 

 probably be found to recur in the Melolonthinse, but is 

 quite at variance with that found in the Cetoniinee and 

 Dynastinae, and, the habits of all these subfamilies being 

 similar, seems to imply a comparatively recent evolution of 

 species in the present group. Most of the Ceylon Butelinae 

 have close allies on the mainland, but only in the case of 

 Anomala superflua, illiisa, and chloronota is there difficulty 

 in their separation. A few, like Anomala variegata and 

 chloromela, are rather isolated forms. 



Eight or teu species of the genus Adoretus known to me 

 have been excluded from the present paper because 

 Dr. Ohaus is now engaged upon a revision of that genus, 

 and the Ceylonese species probably include representatives of 

 several proposed new genera yet unnamed and undefined. 



The large tropical genera, Anomala, Mimela, Parastasia, 

 and Adoretus, all having representatives peculiar to Ceylon, 

 it is surprising to find the very abundant and widespread 



