the Old World Cyrtacanthacrini. 137 



in clearing up synonymy and in establishing a natural 

 classification of species has been gained by adopting the 

 idea of geographical races, or subspecies, which are in many 

 cases distinct from each other both in coloration and 

 in morphology, and have been described accordingly as 

 independent species, but, in fact, are connected by transitional 

 forms inhabiting the intermediate geographical areas ; their 

 separate treatment by other writers has swollen enormously 

 the total number of species in the group. 



As a result of my revision, the number of genera is 

 increased from seven to twenty-six, while the number 

 of species has been reduced from 130 mentioned by Finot, 

 or from ninety-two of Kirby's Catalogue, down to sixty 

 species and twenty-five additional subspecies ; the true 

 meaning of the latter figures will be best realised from the 

 fact that as many as 140 different specific names came into 

 consideration. 



The number of new species and subspecies described in 

 this paper is very small, which shows that the group is 

 already fairly well known, and further novelties may be 

 expected only from such places as the interior of Africa, 

 and especially from Australia, New Guinea, and other Indo- 

 Malayan islands. 



The following abbreviations are used in the text : — B.M., 

 British Museum ; CM., South African Museum, Cape 

 Town; G.M., Museum d'Histoire Naturelle de Geneve 

 M.M., Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid 

 O.M., Hope Department, University Museum, Oxford 

 P.M., Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris 

 S.M., Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm ; W.M., 

 Naturhistorisches Staatsmuseum, Wien. One asterisk before 

 a name in the synonymy means that the species is known to 

 me by authenticated specimens ; two asterisks, that the type 

 has been studied. 



Key to the Genera. 



1 (50). Pronotum with the median keel more or 



less developed (in Melicodes and Gow- 

 deya almost obliterated, but still per- 

 ceptible), with three transverse sulci. 

 Hind wings, when present, distinctly 

 elongated. 



2 (9). Frontal ridge very strongly dilated above 



the ocellum (and not constricted again 

 at the fastigium), narrowed below it 

 and obliterate about halfway between 



