118 [October, 1844. 



fluent at their ends; apex subacutely rounded : beneath black-fuscous : feet dark 

 rufo-piceous. Differs in many respects from murinus, F. 



3. B. glabellus. Black, glabrous; elytra finely striate. 2 2-5ths 1. lonjr, 

 li 1. wide. 



Short-oval, black, glabrous glossy : head densely and rugosely punctured, 

 punctures large, profound and distant on the clypeus: thorax short, much con- 

 tracted anteriorly, with the sides emarginate ; anterior and posterior margins 

 bisinuate; anterior angles strongly deflexed, acute, hinder ones acute; surface 

 densely and deeply punctulate : elytra with ten fine, somewhat deeply impres- 

 sed sirioe, the second strias is abbreviated near the middle and united at the 

 origin with the third, the fourth stria is united in a similar manner w ; th the 

 fifth, spaces between the striae irregular in breadth, finely transversely wrinkled ; 

 apex acutely rounded : beneath black, strongly punctured : feet dark rufo-pic- 

 eous. 



Simplocaria, Marsh. 



S.strigosa. Deep black-brown, subglabrous ; elytra punctate-striatc. lj 1. 

 long, \ 1. wide. Georgia. 



Byrrhus strigosus, J. Melsh, M. S. 



Short-ovate, black or dark brown, subglabrous glossy : head and thorax opake, 

 intensely finely shagreened, the former with the anterior edge margined : scutel 

 minute triangular : elytra convex, acuminate at apex ; distinctly punctate-striate, 

 almost glabrous, and like the head and thorax, with scattered short capitate setas : 

 beneath blackish : feet dark reddish-brown. 



( To be continued in next number.) 



The Committee to whom was referred the following paper 

 read August 20, 1844, reported in favor of publication. 



Description of new species of Reptiles from Africa. 



By Edward Hallowell, M. D. 



Coluber Icevis. 



Description. — Head of moderate size, broad posteriorly, nar- 

 rowed in front, covered above with nine plates ; the occipital are 

 large, pentagonal, the broadest part presenting anteriorly; the verti- 

 cal plate is hexagonal, broadest anteriorly ; the supra-orbital are of 

 moderate size, hexagonal, the inferior margin being curved for the 

 reception of the upper margin of the orbit ; there are two anterior 

 and two posterior orbitar plates; the posterior are quadrangular, the 

 anterior are pentagonal ; there are two nasal plates with the nostril 

 placed between them; there are two posterior and two anterior or- 

 bitar plates ; the vertical plate is large, its upper margin rounded 

 where it is joined to the anterior frontal and nasal plates ; there are 

 seven superior labialplates ; the eyes are large, the irides ; there 



