40 COLEOPTERA. 



concealing the upper lip. The thorax is either rounded, some- 

 what square, or triangular. The wing-cases do not cover 

 the end of the body. The fore legs are deeply notched on 

 the outer edge ; and the claws are equal and entire. These 

 beetles are generally of an oblong oval form, somewhat flat- 

 tened above, and often brilliantly colored and highly polished, 

 sometimes also covered with hairs. Most of the bright- 

 colored kinds are day-fliers ; those of dark and plain tints 

 are generally nocturnal beetles. Some of them are of im- 

 mense size, and have been styled the princes of the beetle 

 tribes ; such are the Incas of South America, and the Goliah 

 beetle QHegemon Goliatus) of Guinea, the latter being more 

 than four inches long, two inches broad, and thick and heavy 

 in proportion. 



Two American Cetonians must suffice as examples in this 

 rig. 17. group. The first is the Indian Cetonia, Cetonia 

 Inda * (Fig. 17), one of our earliest visitors in 

 the spring, making its appearance towards the end 

 of April or the beginning of May, when it may 

 sometimes be seen in considerable numbers around 

 the borders of woods, and in dry, open fields, fly- 

 ing just above the grass with a loud humming sound, like a 

 humble-bee, for which perhaps it might at first sight be mis- 

 taken. Like other insects of the same genus, it has a broad 

 body, very obtuse behind, with a triangular thorax, and a 

 little wedge-shaped piece on each side between the hinder 

 angles of the thorax and the shoulders of the wing-covers ; 

 the latter, taken together, form an oblong square, but are 

 somewhat notched or widely scalloped on the middle of the 

 outer edges. The head and thorax of this beetle are dark 

 copper-brown, or almost black, and thickly covered with short 

 greenish-yellow hairs ; the wing-cases are light yellowish- 



* Scarabceus Indus of Linnaeus, Cetonia barbata of Say. 6 



[ 6 Cetonia Inda. The old genus Cetonia has been divided recently into many 

 genera, some of which have again been merged together by later investigators ; 

 our species belong to the one called Euryomia, as enlarged by Lacordaire. — Lec] 



