The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ...

chap, xi.] THE ETHIOPIAN REGION. 257sist of single species. The other three genera, Cladognathus,Nigidius, and Figulus, are the most characteristic, though a]lhave a tolerably wide range in the Old World.In the elegant Cetoniida?, or rose-chafers, this region standspreeminent, possessing 76 genera, 64 of which are peculiar toit. The others are chiefly Oriental, except Oxythrcea which isEuropean, and Stethodesma which is Neotropical. Preeminentin size and beauty is Goliathus, comprising perhaps the mostbulky of all highly-coloured beetles. Other large and characteristicgenera are Ceratorhina, Ischnostoma, Anochilia,Diplognatha, Agenius, and many others of less extent.In the enormous tribe of Longicorns, or long-horned beetles,the Ethiopian is not so rich as the other three tropical regions ;but this may be, in great part, owing to its more productivedistricts having never been explored by any competent entomologists.It nevertheless possesses 262 genera, 216 of which arepeculiar, the others being mostly groups of very wide range.Out of such a large number it is difficult to select a few as mostcharacteristic, but some of the peculiarities of distribution asregards other regions may be named.Among Prionidae, Tithocsis a characteristic Ethiopian genus. A few species of theAmerican genera Parandra and Mallodon occur here, while theNorth Temperate genus Prionus is only found in Madagascar.Among Cerambycidae, Promeces is the most characteristic. TheAmerican genera Oeme and Cyrtomerus occur ; while Homalachnusand Philagathes are Malayan, and Leptocera occurs only inMadagascar, Ceylon, Austro-Malaya, and Australia.The Lamiidaeare very fine; Sternotomis, Tragocephala. Ceroplesis, Phryneta,Volumnia, and Nitocris, being very abundant and characteristic.Most of the non-peculiar genera of this family are Oriental,but Spalacopsis and Acanthoderes are American, while Tetruglenesand Schcenionta have been found only in East and South Africaand in Malaya.Terrestrial Mollusca—In the extensive family of the Helicidaeor snails, 13 genera are represented, only one of which,Columna, is peculiar. This region is however the metropolis ofAchatina, some of the species being the largest land-shells