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XVI. On the Species of Agra of the Amazons Region. 
By H. W. Barss, F.Z.S. 
[Read 3rd April, 1865. ] 
Tue genus Agra is too well known to Coleopterists to render 
necessary a detailed description in this place. It is composed of 
a series of elongated forms of metallic colouring, belonging to 
the Truncatipennes division of the great tribe Carabici; and in 
Lacordaire’s system constitutes, with Calleida, Cymindis and many 
allied genera, the first Group of the Lebiides: Dromius forming 
the type of the second Group, and Lebia of the third Group of 
the same Family (or as he terms it Zribu, in accordance with the 
French nomenclature of assemblages of genera). As a genus 
Agra is distinguished from its nearest relative Calleida by the 
head being constricted behind and forming a distinct neck, and 
by the mentum having a strong tooth in the middle of its emar- 
gination. Both genera have the terminal joint of the labial 
palpi hatchet-shaped, and also strongly-bilobed penultimate joints 
to the tarsi, and claws thickened and pectinated. The form of 
the prothorax, which is not usually admitted in the Carabici as 
offering generic characters equal in value to those furnished by 
the oral organs and tarsi, is a leading feature in distinguishing 
Agra from Calleida and the other allied genera, and is the cha- 
racter which, combined with the form of the head, gives the dgre 
their peculiar facies; this part of the body having an elongate 
conical shape instead of presenting a distinct, more or less plane, 
pronotum, quadrate or cordate in outline. It is, moreover, always 
sculptured, the mode of punctuation being common to series of 
allied species, so as to admit of serving as a character to group 
them into natural subordinate assemblages. 
Of the genera familiar to European Entomologists, Cymindis is 
the nearest related to this favourite tropical group. An American 
genus recently separated from Cymindis, namely, Apenes of Le- 
conte, forms a still nearer approximation, as it presents bilobed 
penultimate tarsal joints. But the Cymindes differ greatly from 
the Agre, in facies, in the form of the claws, and also in habits, 
being terrestrial species found under stones and about the roots 
of herbage, at most climbing the stems of shrubs, whilst the 4gre 
are wholly arboreal. In this they are like the Calleid@, but the 
VOL, II. THIRD SERIES, PART V.—SEPT. 1865. DD 
