1852.] ^5 



small ; no teeth in the palate, which is also without a longitudinal groove ; no 

 meatus audilorius externus visible. 



Coloratioji. Above dark chestnut color, the edges of the scales bordered with 

 ash color, giving the whole a tesselated appearance ; under part of abdomen and 

 tail same color, but brighter ; chin, snout, upper and under jaw yellow. 



Dimensions. Length of head 4 lines, greatest breadth 2 lines. Length of 

 head and body 5 inches (Fr.) ; of tail 2 inches 4 lines. 



Geograpliical distrihulion. Liberia, West Coast of Africa. 



General Remarks. This animal has a general resemblance to the Acontias 

 meleagris of Cuvier, the only species of Acontias hitherto described, but it 

 differs from it in many important particulars, several of which beeome evident 

 even upon a superficial examination. Thus it is only necessary to compare the 

 plates of the head with the figure of them given in the filty-eighth plate of Du- 

 meril and Bibron, to perceive at once that it is not the same animal. The A. me- 

 leajiris is also larger, measuring 9! inches (Fr.) ; but the tail is nearly an inch 

 shorter, measuring 1^ inches. It differs also in having an inferior eyelid, which 

 elegans has not ; and in the form of the eye, which in meleagris resembles a 

 longitudinal slit, but which in elegans is circular. The longitudinal fissure in the 

 posterior part of the rostral plate is straight in meleagris, in elegans it is 

 curved; meleagris presents a longitudinal groove in the palate, elegans has 

 none; the scales upon the body are hexagonal in meleagris, in elegans they 

 are trapezoidal. The number of rows of scales differs in the two animals. In 

 the one there are but fourteen, in the other twenty. 



The species of reptiles just described, with a beautiful specimen of Onycho- 

 cephalus Liberiensis, were presented to the Academy by Dr. Henry A. Ford of 

 Liberia, the gentleman to whom we are also indebted for the magnificent skele- 

 ton of Troglodytes gorilla, the largest known Troglodyte. 



The Committee on the following paper by Dr. LeConte, reported in 

 favor of publication in the Proceedings : 



Remarks on some Coleofterous insects collected by S. TV. Woodhoicse, M. jD., in 



Missouri Territory and New Mexico. 



By John L. LeConte, M. D. 



The collection of insects made by Dr. Woodhouse, to whom science is so 

 much indebted for extensive researches on the natural history of the regions 

 west of the Mississippi, consists chiefly of species from the boundary of the 

 tract of land which the liberal policy of our Government has set apart for the 

 Creek Indians, and were procured while he was attached to a surveying party 

 under Capt. Sitgreaves, of the Topog. Corps. The bulk of the collection made 

 in Texas and in New Mexico, has unfortunately been lost in the acccidents to 

 which the traveller is so frequently subjected in those wild and dangerous 

 regions. The few, however, that remain, are of such interest as to cause us 

 doubly to regret the destruction of the rest, and fervently to hope that the in- 

 dustry of future travellers may soon repair these unavoidable losses. 



1. Cicindela cuprascens subelongata, subcylindrica, capite thoraceque 

 fusco-aeneis, hoc lateribus leviter rotundatis tenuiter albo-pubescente, impression- 

 ibus transversis profundis, linea longitudinali tenui, elytris thorace sesquilatiori- 

 bus dense punctatis cupreis, macula basali, margine toto laterali, striga obliqua 

 subhumerali, apice hamata, faspia media elongata valde refracta intus dentata, 

 lunulaque apicali ochroleucis dilatatis, apice oblique sinuatis acutis, serrulatis ; 

 trochanteribus posticis testaceis ; labro albo, transverso, edentato. Long. '4 '53. 



Cicindela blanda var. /S. Lee. Ann. Lye. 4, 180. 



I found several specimens of this elegant species on the Arkansas river, and 

 have heretofore considered it as a variety of C. blanda Dej. After further ex- 



