o 
THE COLEOPTERA OF OLD CALABAR. 451 
the closest affinity. They are confined, the one (Actenodes) to America, and the other 
{Belionota) to Africa and the Old World. Actenodes ckalibei tarsi* from Mexico may 
be contrasted with my Belionota Champioui* from Old Calabar in PI. XLVII. ti 
and 5 a. 
Lampetis, or Psiloptera, is fonnd all over the tropics; but the Old-Calabar species is 
closer to some of the South- American species than to the East- African or Indian species. 
Psiloptera equestris from Brazil is figured in PL XLVII. fig. 6, alongside my Lam pet is 
piperata f from Old Calabar, fig. 6 a. 
The Lamellicornes in like manner present similar affinities. Among the Cetoniadae, 
perhaps the most striking is the almost exclusive possession respectively taken of Ame- 
rica by the Gymnetidae, of Africa by the Pachnodae, and of the Indian district by ihe 
Protaetiae. This is not the place to discuss the value of the different characters used 
to distinguish these groups ; nor do I at all mean to indicate that I consider the t lirro 
I have mentioned as of equal value. They are undoubtedly not so ; Protect ia and Pach- 
noda are greatly nearer to each other than Gymnetis to either of the others. But I 
place them together as alliances in a certain sense. They are examples of a not very 
uncommon mode in which affinity may be traced,— viz. when a general resemblance 
remains, while some considerable deviation has taken place in the structure. In Gym- 
net is and Pachnoda, for example, the colouring, texture, and peculiar dull velvety ap- 
pearance are preserved, while the structural characters have deviated. Every systematic 
naturalist will acknowledge the great assistance he derives in tracing out the true rela- 
tions of species from some indefinable family resemblance or trick of the visage, which 
suggests the idea and sets him in the right track, but which he finds it impossible to 
render into words. Such is the resemblance between Pachnoda and Gymnetis. At the 
same time it is a resemblance which, while suggesting a common parentage, according 
to the Darwinian theory, cannot be cited as indicating more than a very distant rela- 
tionship. 
* Nigro-fusca, capite thorace et subtus chalybeo-cuprea parum purpurata ; capite declivi, oculis magms fere 
verticem capitis attingentibus, vertice linea laevi striata, antice irregulariter punctata, maculis parvis laevibus, clypeo 
subbilobo ; thorace antice angustiore, angulis antice declivibus, basi recto, ante scutellum utrinque valde sinuato et 
exciso, magna profunda fovea semilunari transversa utrinque versus latera posita, paulo pone medium fovea et an- 
gulis posticis parum aciculatim linearis; scutello longissimo, thorace longiore (quarta parte elytrorum iongitudine) ; 
elytris basi utrinque angulato-attenuatis, apice apiculato, ad suturam singulis quinquecostatis, punctata, punctis a 
retro formatis, costis, punctis et textura paulo ut in Necrodi, costis tertiis et quartis conjunctis paulo pone medium : 
subtus lateribus punctatis et aciculatim linearis, medio laevi ; prothorace rotundatim et late carinato ; segmentis abdo- 
minis ad latera apiculatis, medio longa plana haud profunda fovea, utrinque hevi carina metata aciculatim punctata \ 
femoribus aciculatim linearis. 
Long. 12 lin., lat. 4 lin. 
t Supra aureo-cuprea, irregulariter profunde impressa vel punctata, nigro vel viridi-nigro maculata, subtus chaly- 
°ea ; clypeo emarginato, labro transverso, mandibulis rotundis crassis molaribus ; thorace antice angustiore, lateribus 
angulatis, basi sinuato, disco irregulariter spatiis laevibus notato, punctis confluentibus et rugosis saepius latera versus 
instructo ; scutello minuto, rotundato et convexo ; elytris apice attenuate, ad humeros angulatis, lateribus smuato- 
angulatis paulo pone humeros, apice attenuato emarginato rugose striato-punctatis, spatiis laevibus nigris disco irre- 
gulariter maculatis, lateribus magis rugosis et metallicis : subtus prothorace et mesosterno tricarinato, carina bihneata ; 
pedibus chalybeis, punctatis. 
Long. 12 lin., lat. 4i lin. 
