691 



AUSTRALIAN AND TASMANIAN PSELAPHIDjE. 



By Arthur M. Lea. 



(Plate xxi.) 



Pselaphidce are numerous in Australia and Tasmania, and 

 fortunately most of the known species have been well described, 

 or the types are in Australia. So that Australian workers 

 having access to the Australian Museum in Sydney, where, with 

 a few exceptions, the types of King and Macleay are to be found, 

 are much more fortunately placed than with other families, in 

 which so many species have been referred to genera apparently 

 at random, the types lost, or at least their locations unknown, 

 and many of the original descriptions bad or even worthless. 

 Very fortunately also the main worker at the family, M. Raffray, 

 has, in addition to many species described by himself, i-edescribed 

 many other species, of which he has the types, cotypes, or 

 authenticated specimens, and has beautifully figured many. 



Despite the highly distinctive features of many of the genera, 

 the family is a very difficult one to deal with, and in most 

 instances specimens must be set out so that all parts of the under 

 surface and appendages (even the palpi) are clearly visible, and 

 this is by no means easy with such minute insects. Consequently, 

 although much interested in them, it was only with great reluct- 

 ance that I determined to work out the species-of mj' collection; 

 and had it not been that so many occur in nests of ants and 

 termites, I would not have done so at all, or at least not till after 

 a re-examination of King's and Macleay's types. 



For purposes of publication, the species have been divided 

 into two groups, the descriptions of those occurring with ants 

 and termites being sent for publication by the Royal Society of 



