mann: ants of the fiji islands. 451 



nate before the front marp;in, leaving a transverse smooth area at anterior part 

 of pronotum; pleurae costate similarly to dorsum. Epinotum smooth and 

 shining. Petiole with very coarse and widely separated costae. Postpetiole 

 more indistinctly costate. Gaster finely and sparsely punctate. 



Erect hairs long and very fine and silky, abundant on head and body and 

 equally long and abundant on antennae and legs. 



Color intense black; mandibles and antennae brown, legs light brown. 



Viti Levu: Xadarivatu. 



Described from a unique worker found on the trunk of a tree, in 

 some hollow portion of which it probably nests. The species is dedi- 

 cated to King Cacabau. • 



It is a striking species, in habitus something like a small Atopo- 

 myrmex, but in structure entirely different. The sculpture strong 

 in places and entirely lacking in other areas, the margin on the side 

 portion of head, the four short spines on base of epinotum, the shape 

 of the petiole, and the intense blackness of the tegument give it a 

 characteristic appearance. The epinotal and petiolar structure are 

 not unlike certain species of Myrmecina. The pilosity is unusually 

 long and silky. 



3Sa. RoGERiA (Rogeria) stigmatica Emery, subsp. sublevinodis 



Emerv. 



Nova Caledonia. Zool., 1914, 1, ]). 415, ^ . 



Lau: ]Munia. Viti Levu: Waiyanitu, Nasoqo, Nadarivatu. 

 Vanua Levu: Lasema, Labasa. Taviuni: Nagasau, Somo Somo. 

 Kadavu: Vanua Ava. Ovalau: Levuka. 



This species, described from New Caledonia and recorded also from 

 Samoa by Emery, occurs commonly in Fiji. It nests beneath stones 

 on logs where some humidity is present. When the formicary is 

 opened, the disturbed ants behave in a curious manner, secreting 

 from the anal glands viscid matter in elongate threads that closely 

 resemble worms. These threads twist in a life-like manner and the 

 first time I saw them I actually took them to be small worms. The 

 ants themselves, motionless and of the same color as the earth, were at 

 first not visible and the twisting, apparently crawling "worms" most 

 conspicuous. One worker secreted a thread three quarters of an inch 

 in length, and immediately afterward another, about a half inch long. 



Rogeria stigmatica Emery from the Solomon Islands has the same 

 habits, but not as well developed. 



