Mr. A. Murray 07i Coleoptera from Old Calabar, 117 



sum, quadratum, integrum. Mandibula3 et maxillae mediocres. 

 Palpi tenues, cum articulis ultimis cylindrico-ovalibus. Men- 

 turn profunde excavatum et emarginatum, emarginatione sine 

 dentc medio, scd levitcr sinuato. Ligula membranacea, sat 

 grandis, cum paraglossis annexis, projicientibus ut cornubus 

 leviter clavatis. Antennae breves, capite et thorace bre- 

 viores, articulis longitudine fere sequalibus, secundo excepto 

 (sed hand multo) breviorc ; primis tribus Isevibus, cseteris pu- 

 bescentibus et parum dilatatis. Prothorax convexus, postice 

 latior. Elytra thorace baud latiora, ad ejus basin conniventes, 

 striata, sed sine stria suturali accessoria. Pedes mediocres ; 

 tibiae anticae dilatatae et intus fortiter emarginatae; tarsi te- 

 nues, triangulares, setis subtus utrinque instructi. 



1. A, iridescensj mihi. 



Niger, iridescens, nitidissimus ; thorace fovea basali longitudi- 

 nali la3vissima utrinque instructor elytris punctato-striatis ; 

 antennis, palpis pedibusque ferrugineis. 



Long. 4i hn., lat. 2 lin. 



Black, very polished and shining, and beautifully iridescent 

 when looked at from before backwards with its head to the light ; 

 the iridescence rich, and with a proportion of green, yellow, and 

 coppery red, besides blue, in it. The form is that of an Amara. 

 Head impunctate ; labrum, antennae, mandibles, and parts of 

 the mouth ferruginous. Thorax subquadrate, narrowest in front, 

 with the anterior angles bent down ; posterior angles translu- 

 cent, slightly acute, with the points rounded ; sides edged ; an 

 elongate triangular space within the posterior angles flattish, the 

 remainder of the surface convex; no dorsal line; a short slender 

 basal fovea or line containing a single row of four or five mi- 

 nute punctures on each side of the space opposite the scutellum. 

 Scutellum ferruginous, smooth. Elytra truncate at the base, 

 oval and emarginate towards the apex, pretty deeply punctate- 

 striate, the intervals impunctate, convex; the striae converge 

 towards the apex and become deeper, and the interstices more 

 convex : as already said, there is no accessory sutural stria ; 

 there are a few deep punctures on the exterior interstice. Under 

 side more or less piceous and iridescent, impunctate. Legs 

 testaceo-ferruginous. 



I have only received one specimen of this new species. At 

 first sight, one would take it for an Amara ; but I am not aware 

 of any Amarce having been hitherto found further south in Africa 

 than the Mediterranean district : besides, it is iridescent, which 

 is also opposed to its being placed among the Amaree ; and on 

 further examination, we find other difi*erences. It has no tooth 



