48 



markable and varied thau the colours. The size varies from scarcel)^ one line in length in 

 AphanisticiLS pu villus to nearly three inches in Catoxantha gigantea, the Goliath of his race. 

 The shape, which, on account of the shortness of the legs, is not very graceful, embraces 

 the following forms, viz.: — Cylindrical, conical, oval, oblong, flat, some almost triangular^ 

 and otliers even linear ; in all the Elytra taper more or less abruptly to a point. 



Westwood has mentioned some interesting particulars with reference to their geogra- 

 phical distribution, ut seq ; — " At the Cape of Good Hope is found an extensive group, hav- 

 and others even linear ; and in all, the elytra taper more or less abruptly to a point, 

 ing the elytra ornamented with tufts of yellow or white hairs. The conical species abound 

 on the shores of the Mediterranean, Caspian and Black Seas, and at the Cape. Mada- 

 gascar produces an extraordinary group, having the body flattened, and of a nearly rounded 

 form ; whilst in New Holland the genus Polychroma and several others have been ex- 

 clusively found." 



As instances of some of the most striking examples I will describe three species 

 which I have received from the East Indies. 



Catoxantha gigantea is a large insect of upwards of three inches in length and nearly 

 an inch in width ; the elytra or wing-covers are metallic green with a large orange spot, 

 surrounded by a beautiful blue band, on each ; the thorax is of the same green colour, of 

 a rather deeper shade, and has on either side a large coriaceous knob of deep chestnut; 

 the eyes and antennae are brown, and the legs black. The distinguishing characteristic 

 of this genus, and from which it takes its name, is the colour of the abdomen, which is a 

 bright orange yellow above and beneath. 



Chrysochroa Buquetti is a magnificent Buprestis of about two inches in length by half 

 an inch in width, with the head and thorax of a fiery copper, deeply punctured, the centre 

 of the thorax is rich burnished violet ; the eyes are dark brown, and the antennae almost 

 black ; the elytra bright orange, with the tips, outer margin, and a large spot in the cen- 

 tre of each, of a most splendid purple; the abdomen, above, is of the same rich violet as the- 

 patch on the thorax, and beneath, Prussian blue with a metallic lustre ; the under side of 

 the head and thorax is coppery carmine, like that which adorns the upper side of the 

 thorax, and is densely covered with a fine fulvous down. 



Chrysochroa vittata is one of those, before mentioned, which is sometimes worn as 

 an ornament ; it is rather longer than the preceding species, of a deep green colour, with 

 the base of the thorax, a stripe down each elytron, and the whole of the under surface^ 

 carmine glossed with gold. 



Amongst the Canadian species, belonging to this family, bronze is the prevailing 

 colour, although, of course, there are individuals in some of the groups which are very 

 highly coloured. They may be at once recognised by the most uninitiated from the fol- 

 lowing characteristics : Most of the tribes have conical, wedge-shaped bodies of peculiar 

 hardness, and the different parts so intimately connected as scarcely to show the point of 

 ■union. Fig. 36 gives a very good general idea of the outline 

 'during the different stages. The head of the imago, or perfect 

 insect, d is sunk into the prothorax, or part where the first pair 

 of legs is attached, almost as far as the elliptical eyes, the pro- 

 thorax in its turn fits closely into the mesothorax, or part where 

 the second pair of legs is attached, and the posternum is pro- 

 longed into a sharp spike-like appendage, and fits tightly into 

 the excavated mesosternum. The head is flat, and on account of 

 being sunk so deeply into the thorax, is not capable of much 

 movement, so, consequently, has the mouth, which is furnished 

 with two stout mandibles, underneath. The antennae, which are 

 serrate and composed of eleven short joints, are inserted in 

 small hollows on the front ; the outer joints in most cases have 

 some minute pores, which are either diffused on the sides or 

 collected in small hollows (foveae) on the lower margin, or the extremity. These are of 

 great importance in classification, and were supposed by Erichson, their discoverer, to be 

 olfactory. 



The elytra, which (in our Canadian species) are generally furrowed or granulated, 

 are of an exceedingly hard consistency, so hard, in fact, as in some of the larger species 



