THE AUSTRALIAN HONEY ANT. 391 



the scape are a few sTiort spines, bifurcated at the 

 point. At the apex of each of the succeeding segments 

 are a few much less conspicuous spines, which decrease 

 in size from the basal segments outwards. The antenna 

 is also thickly clothed with short hairs, and especially 

 towards the apex with leaf-shaped sense-hairs. The 

 clypeus is rounded, with a slightly developed median 

 lobe and a row of stiff hairs round the anterior border ; 

 it is not carinated. 



The mandibles have six teeth, those on one side 

 being rather more developed and more pointed than 

 those on the other. They decrease pretty regularly 

 from the outside inwards. 



The maxillae 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 Myrmecocystua 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 four-jointed. The eyes are 

 elliptical 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 

 I have found in nests of Lasius Jiavun, and of which 

 Mr. Michael has been good enough to draw up the 

 following description. 



