iQOS-] Wheeler, New Species of Formica. 269 



which are very conspicuous on the upper, lateral, and lower surfaces of the 

 head, upper surface of thorax, and on the edge of the petiole; sparse and in- 

 conspicuous on the gaster, especially on its upper surface, and almost entirely 

 absent on the antennal scapes. Eyes distinctly hairy. Pubescence yellowish, 

 almost absent, except on the antennae. 



Head, thorax, petiole, and appendages red; gaster black or very dark 

 brown, with red anal region. Small workers usually have darker legs and in 

 some specimens the upper surface of the thorax is more or less infuscated. 



Female (dealated). — Length, 7.5-8 mm. 



Resembling the worker in coloration and sculpture, with the following 

 differences. The red coloration of the head, thorax, petiole and appendages 

 is somewhat duller, the posterior border of the pronotum, a large median meso- 

 notal and two lateral parapsidal blotches, the greater portion of the scutellum 

 and metanotum, dark brown. The gaster is smoother and more shining than 

 in the worker. Hairs longer, tapering; somewhat fiexuous on the head, thorax, 

 and legs, conspicuous and erect on the antennal scapes and median portions of 

 the eyes. Pubescence of head and thorax more distinct. Petiole very high 

 with a sharp compressed edge. 



Described from three females and numerous workers. 



I have taken this species on three different occasions in the vicinity 

 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Rockford, Illinois. In a piece of wood- 

 land at Cudahy, south of Milwaukee, I found a flourishing colony, 

 comprising three small mound-nests, strung along a well-worn path 

 that had been made by the ants. This path was nearly an inch broad 

 and in some places had been roofed over with dead grass and leaves 

 for distances varying from several inches to two or three feet. An- 

 other colony was found at White Fish Bay, north of Milwaukee. It 

 inhabited a single large mound-nest, possibly a natural hummock that 

 had been enlarged by the ants, in shady woods. This colony, which 

 seemed to be moribund or evanescent, comprised a few hundred 

 workers and seven old dealated females. A third colony found near 

 Rockford, 111., was very similar but yielded no female specimens. 



F. dryas is certainly very closely related to F. rufa and its various 

 subspecies and varieties. This is especially true of the female dryas 

 which has a highly glabrous gaster like that of the pure European type 

 of rufa. The worker dryas, however, differs from the workers of all 

 the American and European forms of rufa and resembles such species 

 as F. dakotensis, montigena, exsectoides, and the next species to be de- 

 scribed, in the peculiar shining "watered" silk surface of the ga.ster. 



Var. gymnomma var. nov. 



To this variety I would assign some workers that I have taken at 

 Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, N. Y., and in two localities near 



