I 



Mr. Curtis on the Genus Myrmica. 151 



davallioidcs, Kunze. This genus the author referred rather to Aspi- 

 diecB than Davalliecdy placing it with Cystopteris in a subsection of the 

 former, which forms a connecting link with the latter through the 

 genus Microlepia, In the view here proposed it would include most, 

 if not all, of the species which have been referred to Leucostegia, as 

 well as a fern described by Sir W. Hooker under the name oi Davallia 

 Jamaicensis. The species of the genus Acrophorus would conse- 

 quently stand as follows : — 



1. Acr. nodosus, Presl = Aspidium nodosum, Blume; Davallia sti- 

 pellata, Wall. ; Davallia nodosa, Hook. ; Monachosorum davallioides, 

 Kunze ? 



2. Acr. immersus = Davallia immersa. Wall. ; Leucostegia im- 

 mersa, Presl. 



3. Acr. chcerophyllus = Davallia chserophylla, Wall. ; D. ligulata. 

 Wall. ; D. pulchra, Don, fide not. MS. in Herb. Soc. Linn. ; Leu- 

 costegia chaerophylla, L. ligulata, and L. pulchra, /. Smith. 



4. Acr. ajjUnis = Leucostegia affinis, /. Smith ; Davallia affinis, 

 Hook. 



5. Acr. hispidus = Davallia hispida, Heward; D. Novae-Zelandiae, 

 Colenso. 



6. Acr. membranulosus = Davallia membranulosa. Wall. 



7. Acr. parvulus = Davallia parvula, Wall. ; Leucostegia parvula, 

 J. Smith. 



8. Acr. Jamaicensis = Davallia Jamaicensis, Hook. 



March 21. — Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Read a paper " On the genus Myrmica and other Ants." By John 

 Curtis, Esq., F.L.S. &c. 



After referring to the more important published works on the sub- 

 ject of Ants, such as those of Latreille, Nylander and Foerster ; and 

 to the difficulties attending the study of this family on account of 

 the different phases under which each species appears, Mr. Curtis 

 proceeds to enumerate the British species of Myrmica, Stenamma and 

 Myrmecina, and to describe and figure some English Myrmicce, which 

 are either new or imperfectly known. He commences by dividing 

 the British Formicidce as follows : — 



A. with a single scale upon the petiole. 

 Palpi 6- and 4 -jointed. 



Mandibles of female elongated .... 1. Formica, Linn. 

 Mandibles of female triangular .... 2. P oner a, Latr. 



B. with two nodules on the petiole. 



Superior wings with the apical cell elongate and open. 



Palpi 6- and 4-jointed 3. Myrmica, Latr. 



Palpi 4- and 3 -jointed 4. Stenamma, Westw. 



Superior wings with the terminal cell 



closed, oval and pedicled 5. Myrmecina, Curt. 



He next gives detailed characters of the genus Myrmica, under 

 which he enumerates the following species : — 



