52 AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGY. 



Lesc. Head black, obsoletely tinged with purplish : mouth and 

 antennae, black : thorax with the disk black, faintly tinged with 

 violaceous ; this color is very obvious on the lateral edge, and 

 posterior margins ; lateral a little excurved near the poste- 

 rior angles : elytra deeply striated ; the disk is less distinctly 

 violaceous than the margin, and in a particular light, their color 

 exhibits a slight greenish tinge ; beneath violaceous, and more 

 particularly so on each side : epipleura bright violaceous. 



Ohs. It seems probable, that this species is not an inhabitant 

 of the northern part of the United States, or if found at all in 

 this region, it is certainly very rare. It is, without doubt, chiefly 

 limited in its range to the southern and south-western States, but 

 it is not known to be abundant any where. In my specimen, the 

 second and third interstitial lines of each elytrum, are connected 

 near the base by a transverse line, but this is very possibly not a 

 permanent character. It is now figured for the first time. 



The upper right figure. 



Dic^LUS SPLENDIDUS. — Sj)ecific cliaracter. Thorax viola- 

 ceous ; elytra cupreous brilliant. 



Btcsehts splendidus nobis. Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. vol. ii. 

 New Series, p.- 69. 



Desc. Head black : thorax hardly perceptibly narrowed at 

 base ; the posterior part of the lateral edge is not in the slightest 

 degree excurved, but proceeds rectilinearly to the posterior angle ; 

 lateral and posterior margins depressed, lateral edge reflected ; 

 color blackish-violaceous on the disk, and more vivid violaceous 

 on the lateral and posterior margins : elytra highly polished, bril- 

 liant red coppery, exhibiting in a particular light a green reflec- 

 tion ; humeral carina extending two-thirds the length of the 

 elytra ; striae profoundly impressed : beneath bluish-purple : feet 

 black. 



Ohs. This is by far the most beautiful species of the genus, 

 yet discovered. When the rays of light fall perpendicularly on 

 the surface of the elytra, a highly brilliant reddish-coppery color 

 is exhibited, but when the rays are reflected at a considerably 

 angle, the tint changes to a fine polished green. The specimen 

 was brought from the Missouri, by Mr. Thomas Nuttall. 



The upper left figure. 



