THE AUSTEALIAN HONEY ANT. 429 



those on the other. They decrease pretty regularly 

 from the outside inwards. 



The maxillge are formed on the usual type. The 

 maxillary palpi are six-jointed, the third segment being 

 but slightly longer than the second, fom-th, or fifth ; 

 while in Myrmecocystus the third and fourth are 

 greatly elongated. The segments of the palpi have on 

 the inner side a number of curious curved blunt hairs 

 besides the usual shorter ones. 



The labial palpi are fom-jointed. The eyes are 

 elHptical and of moderate size. The ocelli are not 

 developed. 



The thorax is arched, broadest in front, without any 

 marked incision between the meso- and meta-notum ; 

 the mesonotum itself is, when seen from above, very 

 broadly oval, almost circular, rather broader in front 

 and somewhat flattened behind. The legs are of 

 moderate length, the hinder ones somewhat the 

 longest. The scale or knot is heart-shaped, flat 

 behind, slightly arched in front, and with a few stiff, 

 slightly diverging hairs at the upper angles. The 

 length is about two-thirds of an inch. 



The following refers to a new species of mite which 

 [ have found in nests of Lasius fiavus, and of which 

 Mr. Michael has been good enough to draw up the 

 following description. 



Uropoda formicari^, sp. nov. 



This species, although it falls strictly within the 

 genus Uroxjoda., and not within Kramer's genus 

 Trachynotus as defined by that writer, still in most 

 respects, except the very distinctions upon which the 

 genus is founded, resembles Trachynotus pyriformis 

 (Kramer) more closely than it does any other recorded 

 species. It is, however, decidedly different, and is 

 characterised by the squareness of its abdomen, the 

 thickness and roughness of its chitinous dermal skele- 



