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  XXIII. 
  Monograph 
  of 
  the 
  Genus 
  Cryptocerus, 
  helongi7ig 
  to 
  

   the 
  Group 
  Cryptoceridse 
  — 
  Family 
  Myrmicidse 
  — 
  Division 
  

   Hymenoptera 
  Heterogyna. 
  By 
  F. 
  Smith, 
  Esq. 
  

  

  [Read 
  7th 
  March, 
  1853.] 
  

   There 
  is 
  no 
  genus 
  with 
  which 
  we 
  are 
  acquainted 
  amongst 
  the 
  

   Form'icidce 
  which 
  exhibits 
  such 
  eccentricities 
  of 
  form 
  as 
  are 
  met 
  

   within 
  Cryptocerus; 
  indeed, 
  independent 
  of 
  variation 
  in 
  general 
  

   habit, 
  the 
  differences 
  of 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  parts 
  is 
  so 
  great 
  in 
  some 
  

   species, 
  that 
  at 
  first 
  sight 
  they 
  would 
  appear 
  to 
  belong 
  to 
  distinct 
  

   genera 
  : 
  a 
  careful 
  study 
  of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  individuals 
  soon 
  shows 
  us 
  

   that 
  these 
  apparently 
  broad 
  distinctions 
  are 
  but 
  modifications 
  of 
  

   one 
  normal 
  type 
  of 
  structure. 
  Taking 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  

   C. 
  atratus, 
  and 
  attentively 
  studying 
  it, 
  we 
  find 
  in 
  the 
  different 
  

   individuals 
  which 
  follow, 
  some 
  differing 
  in 
  the 
  addition 
  to 
  or 
  dimi- 
  

   nution 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  spines 
  which 
  usually 
  arm 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  

   thorax; 
  others 
  having 
  the 
  shield 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  or 
  lateral 
  produced 
  

   margins, 
  terminating 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  suddenly 
  before 
  reaching 
  the 
  

   posterior 
  angles 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  ; 
  in 
  one 
  instance 
  only 
  do 
  we 
  find 
  the 
  

   margin 
  continued 
  entirely 
  round, 
  forming 
  the 
  exact 
  model 
  of 
  a 
  

   dish. 
  This 
  expansion 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  at 
  the 
  expense 
  of 
  a 
  diminution 
  

   of 
  other 
  appendages, 
  the 
  thorax 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  nodes 
  of 
  the 
  abdo- 
  

   men 
  are 
  destitute 
  of 
  spines, 
  and 
  all 
  other 
  parts 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  simplest 
  

   construction. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  thought 
  it 
  desirable 
  to 
  give 
  figures 
  of 
  the 
  sexes 
  of 
  all 
  

   the 
  species 
  of 
  which 
  I 
  could 
  obtain 
  specimens 
  for 
  that 
  purpose. 
  

   An 
  additional 
  interest 
  will 
  arise 
  from 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  the 
  males 
  of 
  

   two 
  species 
  ; 
  for 
  this 
  valuable 
  information 
  we 
  are 
  indebted 
  to 
  the 
  

   industry 
  and 
  the 
  acuteness 
  of 
  observation 
  of 
  Mr. 
  H. 
  W. 
  Bates, 
  to 
  

   whom 
  Entomology 
  is 
  under 
  such 
  lasting 
  obligations 
  for 
  the 
  elucida- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  so 
  many 
  points 
  of 
  obscurity, 
  not 
  the 
  least 
  interesting 
  of 
  which 
  

   is 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  the 
  males 
  of 
  Cryptocerus. 
  From 
  Mr. 
  Bates's 
  

   notes 
  I 
  copied 
  the 
  following 
  observation 
  : 
  " 
  The 
  three 
  sexes 
  were 
  

   taken 
  in 
  company 
  in 
  a 
  decaying 
  tree, 
  in 
  which 
  their 
  burrows 
  were 
  

   formed 
  ;"* 
  judging 
  from 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  specimens 
  sent 
  — 
  two 
  males 
  

   and 
  about 
  a 
  dozen 
  of 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  sexes 
  — 
  we 
  may 
  reason- 
  

   ably 
  conclude 
  that 
  their 
  societies 
  are 
  not 
  very 
  numerous. 
  In 
  their 
  

   habits 
  we 
  have 
  been 
  informed 
  by 
  Lund 
  that 
  the 
  species 
  are 
  com- 
  

   paratively 
  solitary, 
  lying 
  in 
  wait 
  and 
  springing 
  upon 
  their 
  prey 
  in 
  

   the 
  manner 
  of 
  a 
  hunting 
  spider, 
  to 
  which 
  indeed 
  they 
  bear 
  a 
  

   striking 
  resemblance. 
  

  

  * 
  This 
  note 
  applies 
  to 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  the 
  sexes 
  of 
  C. 
  clypeatus. 
  

  

  