196 Mr. G. Lewis on the 



XXVI. — On the Cetoniidge of Japan, loith Notes of new 

 Species, Synonymy, and Localities. Bj GeorGE Lewis, 

 F.L.S. 



This family, so fai- as is known at present, is represented in 

 Japan by twenty-four species. Mr. Waterhouse, in the 

 Trans. Ent. Society, 1875, recorded fourteen species, but one 

 of these, Glycyphana Sieboldi, Voll., is now given as a syno- 

 nym, and another, Trichias fisciatus, Linn., appears to have 

 been recorded as Japanese by Motschulsky in error. Twelve 

 species, therefore, have been recently added, bringing the 

 number to about one third of those in Europe ; but there are 

 nine genera in Japan to only six on the Continent. 



Judging from the records of the literature relating to the 

 Cetoniidai it would a])pear that naturalists have been unable 

 to master the specific ciiaracters of the group. Thus Cetonia 

 aurata, Linn., C. f oralis, Fabr., and C. jloricola, Herbst, 

 have, according to the Munich Catalogue, 87 names to repre- 

 sent the types and their varieties, and Trichius ahdominalis, 

 Mdnc^tr., has 18. 



For these 105 names we find about 40 sponsors. The 

 commoner the species the more numerous the titles, and it 

 appears therefore fortunate when a species is unique. An 

 author cannot give two names to one specimen, although, if 

 not properly labelled, it may obtain a second on changing 

 ownership. 



A reference to the ' Zoological Record ' will show that re- 

 cently, to increase the confusion, writers have initiated ''^ pro- 

 hahle " synonyms. Harold says (C. R. Ent. Belg. xxiii. 

 p. 5), "that Cetonia Bensoni, Westw., probably = Glycy- 

 phana pilifer, Motsch. ;" Schaufuss records (Nunq. Ot. iii 

 p. 560), " that probably Frotelia (sic) hrevitarsis, Lewis 

 = Cetonia suhmarmorea, Burm, * ;" Kraatz tells us (Deutscli 

 ent. Zeit. xxvii. p. 317) that '■'■ Microi^cecila Bremer i, Jans, 

 probably =M. cincta, Gory, $ ;" and in another place 

 '"'' Dip>hognatha incoides, 1 horns., probably =-D. adinixa 

 Hope." 



Italics are insufficient to indicate these speculations, and 

 capitals are too distinctive. 



Of the 105 names given above 101 stand, as stated, as 

 synonyms in Harold's Catalogue ; but it is impossible not to 

 doubt that these may require revision, for is it possible 

 to unravel such a tangled mass of nomenclature in its en- 

 tirety ? 



* Schaufuss misquotes here ; the sentence should read : '' prohably 

 Cetonia breiiifargis, Lewis, ^Protcetia svbmarmorea, Burm." 



