Rev. F. W. Hope on new Insects from Western Africa. 91 



the genus ffalichondria, where the spicula form the skeleton in 

 place of the horny fibre, the rapid decay of the fleshy matter 

 which cemented them together would naturally lead to so 

 quick a decomposition as to render their preservation in a fos- 

 silized state extremely improbable, when compared with those 

 of the keratose tribe. 



The results arising out of the investigation of these siliceous 

 bodies, will not, I trust, be deemed unimportant to the science 

 of geology. We find the layers of cherty nodules in the green- 

 sands of the Isle of Wight and other localities comprising 

 nearly a third or a fourth of the whole mass of them : the 

 numerous layers of flints in the chalk form also a most im- 

 portant portion of the deposit, and in other strata we find simi- 

 lar siliceous deposits prevail to a great extent ; so that in re- 

 ality, the sponges, by their continued attraction and solidifica- 

 tion of the silex in solution in the water of the ancient ocean, 

 have performed even a more important part in the gradual 

 elevation of the land than the corals have accomplished du- 

 ring the countless ages of the past period. 



XV. — On some new hisects from Western Africa, By the 

 Rev. F. W. Hope, F.R.S., F.L.S. 



[Continued from vol. ix. p. 496.] 



Sp. 14. Calochroa Strachani, Hope. Long. lin. 9 ; lat. lin. 9j, Nigra, 

 elytris lateribus elytrorum flavo-vittatis interneque irregulariter 

 linearis, macula aurantia ad humeros posita, lineaque longitudi- 

 nali suturali flava, ante apicem terminata. Corpus infra violaceum, 

 lateribus abdominis utrinque albidis capillis obsitis, pedibus con- 

 coloribus. 

 The above insect I received from Mr. Strachan of Sierra Leone : 



it seems closely allied to one received from Cape Palmas, which is 



much broken ; as it is a remarkably fine species, it is here introduced. 



The following species are also from Cape Palmas : Cicindela regalis, 



concinna, interrupta, and vittctta, all of Fabricius. 



Sp. 15. Desera viridipennis, Hope. Long. lin. 3|; lat. lin. 1J. Vi- 

 ridis, antennis articulis binis primis atro-piceis, reliquis fusco-flavis 

 et pilosis. Caput cyaneum, punctatum, mandibulis obscure ferru- 

 gineis. Thorax elongatus et cyaneus^ Elytra viridia. Corpus 

 infra concolor, femoribus flavis apicibusque atris. Tibise fusco- 

 picese tarsis concoloribus. 

 This elegant insect inhabits Cape Palmas, and there are also other 



species in my collection from Sierra Leone and Equinoctial Africa, 



namely, ruficollis of De Jean, and tropica and ioptera of Hope. 



Sp. 16. Galerita anthracina, Hope. Long. lin. 8; lat. lin. 2J. Nigra, 

 antennarum quatuor articulis primis atris et pilosis reliquis fusco- 



