210 Mr. E. Saunders' Sijnojysis of British 



5. flavus, DeGeer. Ins. ii. 1089, 5, pi. xlii. f. 24—28. 



(? differs from the preceding by the narrow head 

 and the iintoothed mandibles, and the tibiae without erect 

 hairs ; from niger and alicniis it differs in having no 

 distinct frontal channel, and the wings generally slightly 

 clouded at the base. 



? differs from umhratvs in the smaller head, paler 

 colour, and smaller size, and the want of erect hairs 

 on the tibiae ; from niger and alienus in the dusky 

 base to the wings, the brown colour extending to nearly 

 their middle. 



^ pale yellow, like nmhratus, but generally smaller, 

 and distinguished by the want of the erect hairs on the 

 tibiffi and scape of the anteunte. 



Hah. — Common everywhere. 



Tapinoma, Focrst. (PL VII. fig. 3). 



Hym. Stud. 1 Heft, p. 43. 



Differs from either of the preceding genera in wanting 

 the upright scale to the petiole, which is represented by 

 a flattened, somewhat oblong, node. 



(2) 1. Black or brown-black . . . . . . . . erratica. 



(1) 2. Rufo-testaceous ; g only known . . . . . . polita. 



1. erratica, Latr. Essai Fourm. France, p. 24. 



At first sight like a very dark Lasius niger, but at 

 once distinguishable by the want of the upright scale to 

 the petiole. 



^ dark black-brown ; eyes situated about midway be- 

 tween the base of the head and the apex of the mandibles, 

 vertex square, clypeus deeply emarginate ; antennae very 

 long, three-quarters as long as the body, joints of the flagel- 

 lum subequal ; thorax rounded in front, disk flat ; wings 

 hyaline, nervures pale ; abdomen with a few scattered 

 bristly hairs above, all the segments with a fringe of 

 hairs beneath ; genitalia very large, of the same colour 

 as the rest of the body ; tibiae and tarsi pale, the former 

 clouded in the middle. Length 5 — 6 mill. 



? brown-black, with similar pubescence to that of 

 the ^ ; abdomen wider than in the male. Length 

 5—6 mill. 



^ jet-black, covered with very fine adpressed grey 

 hairs ; the extreme base of the tibiae and tarsi 



