346 LAMELLICOENIA. 



2. Cotinis mutabHis. (Tab. XXI. fig. 5 ; Tab. XXII. figg. 4, 4 a, 5, 5 a, 



12, 12 a, vars.) 



After careful examination of about 250 examples I have come to the conclusion that 

 the characters adduced by Burmeister to distinguish this species from C. sobrina are in 

 the highest degree inconstant, and that there are no means of defining the two species. 

 All that can be said is that C. mutaUlis is, in the great majority of its individuals, larger 

 and broader. The shape of the clypeal horn is very variable, and its varieties do not 

 correspond with variations in size, breadth, and colour, large and robust specimens of 

 the typical mutaUlis having the horn either dilated towards the apex, parallel-sided, or 

 triangular, and the same diversities may be seen in small and slender oblong examples 

 of C. sobrina. It is the same with regard to form and colour ; for it is far from the 

 case that the large and broad examples (C. mutaUlis) only are unicolorous ; smaller 

 and narrower individuals exist equally unicolorous and of nearly all the colour-varieties 

 displayed by the larger set. It is true that the variegated varieties described by 

 Burmeister under G. sobrina are, as a rule, smaller than the others ; but they are 

 connected by the most finely graduated series of variations, so that it is impossible to 

 draw a distinction between the two series. The case is a very difficult one to deal with. 

 It would not be satisfactory, and scarcely practicable, to include under one specific 

 diagnosis all the numerous varieties, some of which are possibly local, thus presenting 

 an interesting study to future collectors and students ; the better course seems to be to 

 treat the more distinct separately, giving the localities of each : — 



Typical form. — Gfymnetis mutahilis, Gory & Perch. Monogr. Cetoin. p. 334, t. 66. fig. 5 1 ; Cotinis mutabilis, 

 Burm. Handb. der Ent. iii. p. 255 2 . Eobusta, supra viridis, opaca, subtus splendide viridi-asnea vel 

 viridi-aurata, ventre interdum fiavo-translucente ; cormi clypeale plerumque quadratum vel apice paullo 

 dilatatum et subsinuatum, sed interdum breve obtuse triangulare. 



Hab. Mexico 1 2 , Matamoros Izucar in Puebla, Jalapa (Edge), Cordova, Vera Cruz, 

 Campeche (Salle), Temax in North Yucatan (Gaumer) ; % Costa Rica (Van Patten). 



Yar. 1. Eadem, sed corpore subtus saturatius viridi-seneo vel subcbalybeo. 



Hab. British Honduras, R. Sarstoon (Blancaneaux) ; Guatemala, near the city 

 alt. 5000 feet (Sahin), Volcan de Atitlan (Champion). 



Var. 2. Oymnetis mexicana, Gory & Perch. Monogr. Cetoin. p. 335, t. 67. fig. 1 * : Cotinis sobrina, var., Burm. 

 Handb. der Ent. iii. p. 256 2 . Paullo minor et angustior ; quoad colores C. mutahilis formse typicae 

 similis. 



Hab. Mexico * 2 , Cuernavaca (Salle, H. H. Smith), Jalapa (Hbge), Temax in North 

 Yucatan (Gaumer) ; Guatemala, Chimaltenango (Conradt). 



Yar. 3. Yar. 2 quoad formam similis, sed interdum robustior, differt elytrorum lateribus et versus apicem 

 obscure rufo-translucentibus ; comu clypeale variabile. 



Hab. Mexico, North Yucatan (Gaumer); Guatemala, San Geronimo (Champion). 



