210 NATURAL ARRANGEMENT OF INSECTS. 



of the Cetoniada are as follows : 1 . the Cetoniana, or 

 floral beetles ; 2. the Rutilince, or metallic beetles ; 

 3. the Megasomince, or horned beetles ; 4. the Melo- 

 lonthincE, or tree beetles (chafers) ; and, 5. the Gla- 

 phyrincE, or wasp beetles. The error, as we conceive., 

 which has caused the substitution of the Anoplognathidce 

 (MacLeay) for the Megasomince (Sw.), will be sub- 

 sequently noticed. It may safely be asserted, that the 

 arrangement of this and the subsequent family is the 

 only portion of systematic entomology which has been 

 founded on an imperishable basis. Enlarged concep- 

 tions, indeed, of the general laws of nature are fast 

 gaining ground ; but it is not among those; who yet tread 

 in the beaten path of isolated classifications, and dis- 

 connected nomenclature. It is the rising generation of 

 naturalists, who begin to study the philosophy of their 

 science, and who, in a few years, will make a complete 

 revolution in entomological science. The stream of ob- 

 livion has already passed over the entomological systems 

 we ourselves once cherished ; and the time is fast ap- 

 proaching, when no system, whatever it may be, which 

 is not founded on the general harmonies of nature, will 

 be regarded by any but mere nomenclators. In this 

 mighty revolution of zoological science, we venture to 

 predict, that the arrangement of the typical Lamelli- 

 cornes, above alluded to, will remain, in all its distin- 

 guishing features, the same, simply because it is 

 natural. For this reason, we shall devote as much space 

 as possible to the developement of these families. Be- 

 sides, the theory of their arrangement is equally appli- 

 cable to all other natural groups ; so that when once 

 fully understood, the entomologist, in a great measure, 

 will be prepared to investigate any other on the same 

 principles. With this object, we shall now briefly notice, 

 in further detail, the sub-families of the Cetoniadce ; 

 giving to them those names which point out what we 

 consider their relative value with other groups. 



(183.) The CETONIAN^E, or floral beetles, on account 

 of the very wide geographic surface over which they are 



