1909.] 271 



MYRMECORIS GRACILIS IN THE NEST OF FORMICA RUFA. 

 BY EDWARB SAUNDEUS, P.R.S. 



I am very glad to be able to record the capture of a second 

 specimen of this very rare Hemipteron taken this time by Mr. George 

 Arnold in the New Forest. 



He tells me that he took it in a nest of Formica rufa, out of 

 which he had sifted some dozen Formicoxenus nifidulils, that when 

 he had sifted some 18 inches of the leaves and bents he saw the 

 Myrmecoris crawling on the sandy part of the nest, which had been 

 exposed. The nest was built on a sandy bank forming the bottom of 

 the hedge of New Park Enclosure, Brockenhurst. 



Mr. Butler's specimen was obtained on the heath in the vicinity 

 of a nest of Lasius niger ; possibly Myrmecoris fraternizes with several 

 species of ants, or possibly a nest of F. rufa may not have been very 

 far distant. Myrmecoris looks almost too large for a companion of 

 L. niqer, but its coloration is more like that species than that of F. 

 rufa. The specimen has been very kindly presented to me. 



4, Lansdowne, Bognor : 



November 9tA, 19U9. 



A NEW CERATOPSYLLUS FROM SOUTH AFRICA. 

 BY JAMES WATERSTON, B.D., B.Sc. 



Plate V. 



Ceratophyllus ROSSI, n. sp. 



Closely allied to C. octavii, Rothsch., and C. numx, Rothsch., between which 

 it is apparently intermediate. The characters of tlie hind segments 7 and 8 are 

 however, diagnostic. 



Seac^.— Strongly rounded, a distinct small notch in front of maxillary palpi. 

 The genal angle bears a moderately long acute spine. Above it is a second, short, 

 broad, blunt spine slightly overlapping the first. Both spines are channelled 

 longitudinally. 



Pronotum.—^\\ovt. Before the comb there is a row of ahout 10 bristles. The 

 comb itself consists of 12 teeth. 



MesoHotum. — Basal row of fine hairs seen by focussing through the pronotal 

 comb. Median row of about 16 hairs (in oc/ayji only about 5), post median row 

 of about 12 bristles. 



Metanotum. — Trace of basal row of hairs. Ante median row of hairs about 

 12 (in octavii about 4). Post median row of bristles 14 {octavii 10). The posterior 

 edge bears on each side 2 tooth-like heavy short spines [octavii 2). 



