110 MB. r. SMITH ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DTSTEIBTJTION 



greatest numbers, not only of individuals, but also of species and 

 genera, within the tropics. Ants, however, are scattered in great 

 profusion many degrees both north and south of those limits, 

 penetrating, indeed, in the former direction even to the shores 

 of Arctic America, whence Sir John Richardson brought several 

 European species of the genus Formica, — F. herculanea and 

 F. puhescens being amongst the number. F. rufa, F. sanguinea, 

 F.fusca, F. nigra, and F. umhrata have been found at Hudson's 

 Bay. F. puhescens and F. lateralis, both European species, are 

 met with in the Northern States of America, and also in Canada ; 

 in fact most of the Ants of northern Europe will probably be 

 found to occur in the great continent of North America. Se- 

 veral of our European Ants are also found in Algeria, as F. emar- 

 ginata, F. opaca, F. puhescens, F. viatica, &c. ; the latter also 

 occurs in Palestine, Some species of the genus Myrmiea have a 

 very extensive range. The common British and European species 

 M. sulcinodis is found also in Siberia and North China ; Atta 

 capitata occurs in Southern Europe, Spain, Algeria, and in Pales- 

 tine. Some species of Ants which live in houses, and devour pro- 

 visions, are found in all quarters of the globe. 



The MuTiLLiD^, of which about 350 species are known, have a 

 very extensive geographical range, and also an almost universal 

 distribution. The number of species in northern Europe is not 

 great ; the type of the genus Mufilla, M. Europcea, occurs in 

 Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and in Eussia. The 

 greatest number of species have been found in Brazil and South 

 America ; they are numerous in Africa ; many occur in Aus- 

 tralia, in North America, and in India ; and, as will be seen by 

 examining the table of geographical distribution, in the Eastern 

 Archipelago they are very numerous. 



PoMPiLiD^. — The insects which compose this extensive family 

 are some of them found in most parts of the habitable globe. 

 North America reproduces as it were the species of Northern 

 Europe — that is, species so closely resembling them that their 

 specific difference is difficult of detection. Some of the largest 

 species of the Aculeate group are found in this family, and also 

 some of the most beautifully adorned ; the geographical range of 

 individual species is very extensive. 



The Sphegidjb are as universally distributed as the Pompi- 

 lidse. The genus Ammopliila is found in all quarters of the globe ; 

 Ammophila salulosa of this country occurs throughout Europe as 

 far north as Lapland ; it also penetrates into Algeria, where 



