No. 7.— The Ants of the British Solomon Islands. 

 By William M. Mann. 



Introduction and Itinerary. 



During the years 1915-1916 the writer was the holder of a Sheldon 

 Travelling Fellowship of Harvard University and funds from this 

 were used in zoological exploration of certain Soiith Sea Islands. 

 Later the Museum of Comparative Zoology contributed a sum of 

 money, which, with funds from other sources, enabled me to continue 

 the work and to visit the British Solomon Islands, where I remained 

 from 19 May to 24 November, 1916. 



Upon my arrival and throughout my entire stay I was the recipient 

 of so many courtesies and so much aid from so many people that to 

 enumerate them would be practically to make a census of the white 

 population of the islands. 



Some time was spent on Florida, where Dr. O'Sullivan, the port 

 doctor, welcomed me to his home at Tulagi and stored my specimens 

 and supplies while I was in the out-islands. 



Malaita was next visited. Mr. W. R. Bell, with whom I stayed at 

 Auki, the government station of which he is in charge, made many 

 excursions with me into the little known interior and some months 

 afterward, on my return to Auki, we crossed the island, camping one 

 night in the mountains, where, at an altitude of about 2,300 feet, we 

 encountered a number of species not found elsewhere, among them 

 Crematogaster {Rhachiocrema, subg. nov.) wheeleri, sp. nov. and the 

 curious Polyrhachis {Dolichorhachis, subg. nov.) malamsis, sp. nov. 

 The native constabulary who accompanied us, necessary companions 

 in the forests of Malaita, proved to be excellent collectors and to them 

 both on Malaita and San Cristoval, I am indebted for many valuable 

 specimens. 



Mr. Symmington, Manager for the Lever's Pacific Plantations Com- 

 pany, permitted me to travel on the Kobiloko, a small steamer that plies 

 between certain of the islands, and this made possible a five days stop 

 at the remote Santa Cruz Group. Here Mr. Jack Mathews arranged 

 with the natives so that I was able to collect not only unmolested by, 

 but with considerable help from them. On the return of the Kobiloko I 

 landed at Ugi, the type-locality for many of the Solomon Island species, 

 and remained there for several weeks at Pawa as guests of Messrs. 



