00 
THE ORDER OF COLEOPTERA. 
Iu addition to the characters given in the table of families, the Ceto- 
niidie are distinguished by being somewhat flattened, or nearly level 
on the back, whilst the Lamellicorns generally are regularly convex ; 
the elytra are a little narrower at the tip than at the base, and in the 
Cetoniides proper the side pieces of the mesothorax are continued up- 
wards, so as to form a little piece which is easily seen at the shoulders, 
between the thorax and the elytra. The scutellum is longer than it is 
broad, and almost always triangular and pointed, whilst in both the 
Melolonthides and It u tel ides it is as broad as it is long, and rounded 
behind. The Cetoniides proper are one of the most splendid groups of 
Coleopterous insects, and some of the tropical species vie in magnitude 
with the Dynastides. Indeed the GoUathus giganteus , of Lamark, from 
the west coast of Africa, is probably the largest Coleopterous insect 
known, being upwards of four inches in length, and two inches in 
breadth. The Cetonia; do not raise their elytra in flying like other bee- 
tles, but spread their wings out laterally from beneath them, the elytra 
being a little hollowed behind the shoulders, to facilitate the operation. 
These are pre-eminently flower-beetles, and the mouth organs are fur- 
nished with a brush of hairs with which they collect the pollen. Many 
of the Cetoniae differ in their habits from the majority of herbivorous 
Lamellicorns, by being actively diurnal, being often seen feeding upon 
pollen, and flying from flower to flower, in the heat of the day. We 
have in N. America eighteen species of Cetoniides proper, and twenty 
species belonging to the aberrant genera. 
Our species of Cetoniides form six genera, which are very unlike iu 
color and general appearance. 
A. Side pieces of the mesothorax visiblo above; thorax somewhat triangular or trapezoid.nl, ami 
nearly as wide at base as the elytra. Cetoniides proper. 
B. Thorax with a lobe behind representing and covering the scutellum Gymnktis, 2 
B B. Scutellum distinct Euryomia, 14 
A A. Side pieces scarcely or not visible above ; thorax roundish or square, and decidedly narrower 
than the elytra. 
C. Body almost naked ; color black. 
D. Thorax square, with prominent angles. Clypeus turned up in front. Size medium : 
ClUiMASTOClIILUS, 13 
D D. Thorax roundish, with obtuse anglos. Clypeus plane. Size very large : 
OSMODIiltMA, 3 
C C. Body densely clothed with hairs or scales; colors various. 
E. Hind coxai contiguous. Body hairy; colors variegated Tuicmus, 5 
E E. Hind coxa3 wide apart. Body covered with minute scales ; ground color dark brown : 
Valgus, 3 
The Gymnetis nitida, Linn., (Fig. 41) is a beautiful velvetty-greeu bee- 
tle, three-quarters of an inch long, the bodies margined all around with 
orange-yellow, found throughout the Eastern States. Its larva has been 
found by Mr. Riley feeding on strawberry roots, and when out of the 
ground crawls with ease on its back. The Euryomia fulgida , Fab., is a 
glossy green species, two thirds of an inch long ; the elytra tinted with 
