1853.] 439 



Mr. Cassin presented a paper entitled '^ Synopsis of the Falconidae 

 which inhabit America north of Mexico, and descriptions of new species." 

 Referred to Dr. Wilson, Mr. Ord and Col. McCall. 



A note was read from Mrs. C. M. G-ambel, accompanying the Journal 

 of her late husband. Dr. Wm. Gambel, of an overland expedition to 

 California in 1849, and giving permission to the Academy to examine 

 and make selections from the manuscript. Referred to the Curators. 



Decemher 27th. 

 Vice-President Bridges in the Chair. 



The Committee on Dr. Le Conte's " Descriptions of new Coleoptera 

 from Texas, chiefly collected by the U. S. Boundary Commission," re- 

 ported in favor of publication in the Proceedings. 



Descrijptions of some new Coleoptera from Texas, chiefly collected by the Mexican 



Boundary Commission. 



Most of the new species described in the following pages, were collected 

 by Mr. Arthur Schott, of the Mexican Boundary Commission under Major 

 Emory ; they were procured in the vicinity of Eagle Pass, on the lower portion of 

 the Rio Grande. With them were several other species, belonging to genera of less 

 interest, and which are here omitted, because numerous species from other parts 

 lOf the country yet remain to be described. Those herein contained belong to 

 groups which are particularly interesting, or which have been made the subject 

 of special essays. In the genus Ophryastes, I have added descriptions of several 

 contained in my collection from Missouri and California, and added new descrip- 

 tions of the two species already described by Say and Schonherr, so that the 

 student who may have occasion to refer to the genus, may find in a small space, 

 the distinctive characters ot all the species yet known within our territory. 



To indicate the importance of accurate collections in distant parts of the 

 country, I may add that, while the collection contained about 110 species of 

 Coleoptera, 40 were new to our fauna. A much greater portion w^ould have 

 been added, had not the very active researches of Lieut. H. Haldeman already 

 discovered a large number of those not included in the forty above mentioned. 



Besides the species below described, I have added in the Revision of the Ela- 

 teridae of the United States, just published in the 10th volume of the Transac- 

 tions of the American Philosophical Society, desciiptions of two very large spe- 

 cies of Agryppus, a genus not before fully enrolled in our fauna. 



CiciNDELA Linn. ^ 



Among the species belonging to our fauna must be placed C. curvata 

 Chevr., and C. decostigma Chevr. (Col. Mex. fasc. 2d,) Mexican species 

 which have been found in Texas. The former was collected by the Commission, 

 the latter by Lieut. Haldeman. 



C. vulturina, supra sericeo-nigra, capite thoraceque virescentibus, labro 

 albo, medio producto, 3-dentato, thorace paulo convexo, postice angustiore, late- 

 ribus late rotundatis breviter albo-pilosis, antice posticeque profundissime im- 

 presso, tenuiter canaliculato, elytris thorace sesqui latioribus minus convexis, 

 apice late rotundatis non serratis, margine tenui cyanescente, versus basin vage 

 punctatis ; subtus purpureo-cyanea; fronte plana, utrinque subtiliter rugosa, 

 glabra. Long. 63-*74. 



Eagle Pass. The first joint of the labial palpi of the male is testaceous. This 

 species seems to be most commonly without white marks on the elytra ; the 

 color in one specimen is greenish black, in the others it is pure black, at least 

 on the elytra. One specimen has a faint rudiment of an apical lunule ; in an- 



