British (Jllyocene Ants. 83 



The ants described by Cockerel 1 are as follows: — 



Ponera hypolitha, represented by the middle of a fore wing 



and one hind wing. 

 Dolichoderus britannicus } from a thorax with fore and hind 



wing ; petiole and part of gaster j also a lateral seetion 



of a body. 



anglicus, from the middle of a fore wing. 



ovigerus, from the middle of a fore wing and part of 



body. 

 Leptothorax gurnetensis, from a nearly complete fore wing ; 



also part of a larger one, described as a variety. 

 Oecophylla atavina, from part of body, fore and hind wing. 

 perdita, from a complete fore wing; another varying 



somewhat ; also a small head and bit of thorax, and part 



of a fore wing, described as a male. 

 mogarche, from a large fore wing, not quite complete ; 



a hind wing ; and head with large mandibles. 



It is certainly unfortunate that Cockerell should have 

 restricted his studies to a few relatively inferior specimens of 

 these ants when such magnificent collections were available ; 

 but, of course, he could only make the best of such material 

 as he had before him. His descriptions are based chiefly on 

 measurements of the wings, their cells, and their veins, as 

 these are almost all he had to go by. Now, as is well known, 

 the wings of ants vary considerably, not only in the same 

 species [Adolph (1880) examined a large number of male and 

 female Acatithomyops(Chthonolasins) umbratus, Nyl., taken by 

 him during a marriage flight, and found that over 80 per cent, 

 of the specimens varied in the neuration of their wings], but 

 even in the same individual — the cells and veins of the wings 

 on one side of the insect not agreeing with those on the other. 

 In Oecophylla, of which Cockerell had only five specimens, I 

 have examined and measured over two hundred and forty-five 

 specimens, and found them to differ in small measurements 

 spreading over a large range. It would, of course, be absurd 

 to give a separate name to each specimen that varied a little 

 from the others; and it is almost impossible to decide where 

 to draw the line or even which insects belong to Cockerell' s 

 species. 



The specimens examined by me appear to belong to the 

 following subfainiiies : — 



PONERINAE : 4 genera and 4 species. 

 DOLICHODERINAE : 1 genus and 4 species. 

 CAMPONOTINAE : 3 genera and G species. 



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