GREEN OR LIVING VEGETABLE MATTER. 75 



It has beeu already remarked, that while some Scara- 

 b&idce are the only insects in the saprophagous circle 

 which possess the porrect sternum of the Cetoniidce, so 

 some of the latter family are the only insects of the tha- 

 lerophagous column which have their scutellum indistinct 

 like many of the coprophagous insects. Again : if the 

 Scarab&ida, are particularly remarkable among the peta- 

 locerous insects for the horns or inequalities on their 

 cl3^eus and thorax, they have in this respect also an ana- 

 logous relation to the Cetoniidce, which form almost the 

 only family of the thalerophagous circle as yet discovered 

 that can boast of such peculiarities. On this account the 

 genus Goliathus ments our attention; as we find that here 

 the inequality of the clypeus constitutes a distinctive mark 

 of the sexes as among the Scarabaide. The excavated 

 or subcornuted thorax so common in the genus Copris, 

 appears to be very rare with the Cetoniida: but even of 

 this an example is afforded by Cetonia cornuta, Fab.; 

 a singular insect from the Cape of Good Hope, which 

 I have good reasons for believing to be the same species 

 ■with the Scarahaus Areas of Olivier ! 



The Cetoniidcz are in general very gay insects, as to 

 cbloiir ; but rarely, if ever, ean they be said to possess much 

 metallic brilliancy, yielding in this respect to several of 

 the Rutelida, Glaphyridtz, and Anoplognathida. Nothing 

 however can exceed the beauty and lustre of the polish 

 or the admirable variety of ornament with which their 

 elytra are adorned. Thelarvse live in the fattest vegetable 

 soils : but notwithstanding the excellent observations of 

 Degeer, much remains to be performed towards the 

 elucidation of this part of their history. 



It is difl&cult to collect sufficient data for the establish- 



