348 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



tinctly carinate. Profile outline of mesonotum and base of epinotiim 

 forming a straight horizontal line, scarcely interrupted at the meso- 

 epinotal suture. Base and declivity of epinotum subequal, the latter 

 sloping and concave, forming a well-defined obtuse angle with the base. 

 Petiole oval, broader above than below, a little higher than broad, 

 with broadly rounded, entire and sharp superior border, in profile 

 thin and anteroposteriorly compressed, convex in front above, flat 

 behind, nearly or quite as high as the epinotal angle: , 



Shining; head and thorax sharply and finely, gaster and legs more 

 indistinctly and more superficially shagreened. Mandibles and 

 clypeus subopaque, the former also sparsely punctate. 



Hairs pale yellow, very sparse, erect, present only on the head and 

 gaster, tips of the femora and antennal scapes. Pubescence absent, 

 except on the antennae, where it is extremely fine. 



Black; upper portion of pronotum and first gastric segment and 

 extreme base of second gastric segment, sometimes as two blotches, 

 ivory-yellow; mandibles, cheeks, more or less of the anterior portion 

 of the clypeus, the antennal scapes, tibiae, tarsi, tips of femora, and 

 base of petiole brownish yellow. Palpi, first funicular joint, articula- 

 tions of thorax, borders of gastric segments and sometimes also the 

 mesonotum brown. Eyes pearl-gray. 



New Guinea, type-locality (F. Smith). Queensland: Rock- 

 hampton and Peak Downs (Museum Godeff roy) ; Cairns and Kuranda 

 (Wheeler). N. W. Australia: Adelaide River and Baudin Islands 

 (J. J. Walker). New South Wales: Sydney (Museum Godeffroy). 



I have been unable to find this ant in New South Wales so that I 

 doubt its occurrence at Sydney. Mayr applied the name respiciens 

 to several species of Opisthopsis, so that even his localities Rock- 

 hampton and Peak Downs, Queensland, may refer to some other 

 species. In the neighborhood of Cairns and Kuranda, the typical 

 respiciens is not uncommon, running on the trunks of large Eucalyptus 

 and Melaleuca trees along paths and in clearings in the tropical 

 "scrub," in company with workers of various species of Camponotus, 

 Calomyrmex, Polyrhachis, and Podomyrma. I was unable to find 

 its nests or to secure male and female specimens. 



2. Opisthopsis respiciens var. moestus, var. nov. 



Worker. Differing from the typical respiciens in having the pro- 

 notum entirely black or dark brown above and the dark dorsal por- 

 tion of the petiole and of the cheeks more extensive. The pale ivory- 

 yellow area at the base of the second gastric segment is also more 



