4 



ON THE CETONIIDiE OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



the species which the authors could procure a sight of, whether in England, or on the 

 continent. If it was a happy thought to undertake a catalogue of such extent, we the more 

 regret the way in which the undertaking has been executed. In fact, MM. Gory and 

 Percheron had every thing in their favor, except the acquirements necessary for the task. 

 The subjects of their monograph are large, handsome, and easily preserved. They were 

 therefore more likely to be brought from abroad than perhaps any other insects. The 

 JBuprestida are also handsome insects, but as the species of this family often are very 

 minute, and always very active, so complete a collection of them is of more difficult 

 attainment. Indeed, we may fairly say, that with the exception perhaps of Central Africa, the 

 world contains of Cetoniida few species unknown, at least in comparison with those which are 

 known. MM. Gory and Percheron appear never to have seen the noble collection made by my 

 father ; and if their work had been more ably executed, I should have deeply regretted my 

 absence from England at the time they were studying the museums of our Metropolis. 

 Nothing, however, affords me a better conception of the extent of their labours, than to see so 

 few generic forms, and even species in my collection, which do not find their portraits, such 

 as they are, in the Monographie des Cetoines. 



It will be easily understood, therefore, why I now commence with the description of 

 the CetoniidcB of South Africa. It is not only because the Cape of Good Hope is the richest 

 of all countries in the species of this beautiful family, but because every person who is in pos- 

 session of the Monographie des Cetoines may, to a certain degree, have the power of studying 

 analytically the affinities and analogies which I am about to explain, and of observing the 

 manner in which, I trust, the whole of organized nature will one day be wrought out. 



I have also another object in commencing with the Cetoniidce, which is, that having 

 been long sensible of the great confusion existing between the words genera, sub-genera, 

 sections, sub-sections, &c. I am naturally anxious to explain the meaning of these words, as 

 I shall in future use them. 



Every one knows that sometimes sub-genera, and at other times even sub-sections of 

 genera, are in the most uriphilosophical manner published as genera. Too often we find every 

 thing a genus which some gnathoclast, with Scapula in hand, has thought proper, in his good 

 pleasure, to call so. Some persons again there are, who on a first inspection can oracularly 

 decide that this groupe is a sub-genus, and that another groupe is of " full generic value." To 

 such clearness of vision I can lay no claim ; yet I cannot help thinking that there is a mode of 

 discovering the true subordination of these several kinds of groupes — nay, I am sure this 

 discovery will ever be the result of calm patience, of keeping before our view a great number 

 of the species of any family, and finally of following up that aphorism of a distinguished 

 botanist, which says, " Omnis sectio naturalis circulum, per se clausum, exhibet." When I 

 described the Geodephaga of the Annulosa Javanica, I had not that knowledge of a 

 sufficient number of the species, which was necessary to enable me to work out my sub- 

 ordinate groupes, and therefore I could only state that I did not exactly know which were 

 genera^ and which were sub-genera. If any one, for instance, were to pubhsh a complete 

 monograph of the Linnean genera Carabus and Cicindela, after the manner which MM. Gory 

 and Percheron have adopted for the Fabrician genus Cetonia, it might be possible for the 

 entomologist to distinguish the genera, sub-genera, sections, and sub-sections of Geodephaga, 

 as well as to shew their reciprocal relations of affinity and analogy. That, however, which 

 most tends to prevent young naturalists from taking this, the most honourable path of 



