169 



TOMYRIS. 



This genus is a very unsatisfactory one to deal with, 

 despite the great beauty of many of the species. In general 

 appearance many of them are extremely like many of the 

 smaller ones of Edium, but from that genus they are readily 

 distinguished by the notched four hind tibiae, although the 

 notches are sometimes very feeble. But with a little experi- 

 ence many of the species may be recognized at a glance to 

 belong to Tomyris, by the clothing and prothoracic punctures. 

 The character of the convexity or concavity of portion of the 

 prosternum by which Chapuis and Lefevre placed the two 

 genera in widely separated groups of the subfamily I believe 

 to be quite unreliable ; and it is certainly very unsatisfactory. 



There are now before me many hundreds of specimens, 

 including all those described or commented upon by the late 

 Rev. T. Blackburn, except some types (^o) ; and also including 

 many taken in cop. by myself and so marked. Of these latter 

 some species have both sexes green, some have both brassy, 

 and some have the male green and the female brassy. The 

 antennae also may or may not vary in colour sexually. Struc- 

 turally and in clothing some of these arc so much alike that 

 it is often difficult (I believe in many cases it is for all prac- 

 ticable purposes impossible) to decide as to whether a 

 particular specimen belongs to one with the sexes similar or 

 different in colours. That the sexes of several species have 

 been described as distinct is almost certain ; I have, for 

 instance, repeatedly seen specimens of viridiila (male) in cop. 

 with proxima (female). There are in the Museum (and I 

 have seen more in other collections) many unmated specimens 

 belonging to species that are close to but distinct from viridiila, 

 that I have passed over without describing as, except where 

 they possess very distinctive features, it is undesirable to 

 describe species allied to it, without having positive information 

 as to the correct mating of the sexes. 



All the species of the genus have the four hind tibiae 

 notched near the outer apex, and all have the upper-surface 

 more or less densely clothed ; the clothing is frequently dense 

 and short, often as in rasci, of which Blackburn remarked : 

 "The shortness and comparative coarseness of the pubescence 

 in this species suggests the idea of a hairy surface that has 

 been closely shaved." Two species, however, have been referred 

 to the genus whose upper-surface is glabrous and tibiae not 

 notched ; but these ffarndoora and minor) I believe to belong 

 to Cleptor, and have commented upon them under that genus. 



On the head there is a small shining space close to each 



^60) All the species are represented. 



