548 WHEELER. 



151. Formica fusca var. 7i eoclara Emery. 



Colorado: Creede, 8844 ft. (S. J. Hunter); Hall's Valley, Park Co., 

 10,500 ft. and Gibson's Gulch, Hayden Peak, 12,000 ft. (E. J. Oslar). 



Recorded only from localities in Colorado. As I have never seen 

 this ant above 7000-8000 ft. the elevations given on Oslar's labels seem 

 excessive. The variety really belongs to higher lexels in what Cock- 

 erell calls the "sub-alpine zone." 



152. Formica fusca var. blanda Wheeler. 



The types of this variety are from Olympia, Washington. Further 

 study shows that the specimens cited in my "Revision" from Seattle, 

 Wash, and Lemon Cove, Tulare Co., Cala. do not belong to it but are 

 pale forms of cinerea {vide infra). The two workers from the Yosemite 

 are also doubtful as they may be immature specimens of fusca var. 

 marcida. 



153. Formica fusca subsp. 'pruinosa subsp. nov. 

 Worker. Length 3.5^ mm. 



Differing but little in size in the same colony and allied to var. 

 neoclara, but with narrower, less flattened gaster. The petiole is 

 similar, with broad, blunt superior border, nearly always distinctly 

 emarginate in the middle. Head scarcely longer than broad, narrowed 

 in front, with straight sides and posterior border. Eyes rather large. 

 Epinotum obtusely angular, with subequal base and declivity. 



Surface of body finely shagreened, uniformly shining, except the 

 clypeus and anterior portion of the head, which are coarsely shagreened 

 and opaque. 



Whole body uniformly covered with very short, dense, silvery pubes- 

 cence. Head with only a few pairs of erect hairs on its dorsal surface, 

 thorax and petiole without any; gaster with short, sparse, obtuse 

 hairs. 



Gaster dark brown, head black; clypeus and mandibles dark brown, 

 cheeks yellowish brown; thorax, coxae and legs yellowish or reddish 

 brown, the thorax and coxae spotted with dark brown, the spots some- 

 times fusing so that only the sutures are yellowish or reddish. Petiole 

 often infuscated above. Antennal scapes and base of funiculi red, 

 the tip darker. 



Female. Length 6.5-7 mm. 



Color, pilosity and sculpture much as in the worker; frontal area 

 yellowish red; pronotiun of the same color, with its posterior border 

 and a few spots on the sides fuscous; remainder of thorax fuscous or 



