wheeler: ants of the genus formica. 533 



behind, with stx-aight posterior border and feebly convex sides; the 

 small workers having the head much smaller, slightly longer than 

 broad, with straight sides, and posterior borders and more rounded 

 posterior corners. Eyes small; in the largest workers flat, in small 

 workers more convex. Mandibles convex. Clypeus very strongly 

 carinate, its anterior border subangularly produced in the middle. 

 Frontal carinae diverging behind. Antennae stout; scapes rather 

 strongly curved at the base, distinctly incrassated at their tips; 

 funicular joints 2-4 narrower but scarcely longer than the penultimate 

 joints; fii'st funicular joint nearly as long as the second and third 

 together, the second shorter than the third. Maxillary palpi rather 

 short. Thorax short and robust ; the pro- and especially the mesono- 

 tum very convex in the largest workers, the mesoepinotal constriction 

 short and deep, the epinotum with the base broadly convex in profile 

 and distinctly shorter than the sloping declivity into which it passes 

 through a rounded angle. In medium sized and small workers, the 

 pro- and mesonotum are only moderately convex and the mesoepino- 

 tal constriction is shallow. Petiole rather high and broad, compressed 

 anteroposteriorly, with convex anterior and flat posterior surface; 

 the border sharp and when seen from behind broadly rounded and 

 entire. Gaster rather large; legs stout. 



Surface of body shining, especially the gaster and posterior half of 

 the head, finely shagreened. In the largest workers the mandibles, 

 clypeus, front, cheeks, thorax, and petiole are opaque or subopaque and 

 more coarsely sculptured ; the mandibles and clypeus being sharply, 

 densely, and longitudinally striate, the mandibles striatopunctate, the 

 remaining opaque sm^faces sharply shagreened. In medium and small 

 workers the anterior portion of the head, including the mandibles, 

 clypeus, and thorax, is distinctly shining and much more delicately 

 shagreened. Frontal area in some specimens opaque, in others smooth 

 and shining, apparently irrespective of the size of the specimen. 



Hairs golden yellow, coarse, pointed, erect and very sparse, present 

 on the clypeus, upper surface of the head, gula, pronotum, and gaster. 

 Pubescence short and very sparse, with difficulty perceptible under an 

 ordinary magnification even on the gaster; very fine and dense on the 

 scapes. 



Body varying from brownish red to dark chestnut-brown; legs 

 paler and more yellowish; gaster and posterodorsal portion of the 

 head black. Tips of antennal funiculi and sometimes also in large 

 workers the middorsal portion of the pro- and mesonotum infuscated. 



Female. Length 8-10 mm. 



Resembling the worker, but the whole head opaque, finely and 

 densely punctate behind, with coarsely striatopunctate mandibles 

 and sharply striated clypeus. Frontal area opaque and finely punc- 

 tate. Thorax subopaque, finely and densely punctate, except the 



