BY THE REV. R L. KING, B.A. 75 



of a large species of ant of the genus Formica. The species is 

 readily known by its black colour ornamented on the abdomen 

 with yellowish or bronzed setae. The ant makes its nest in the 

 ground under wood, rails, or logs, and the beetle is seen on the 

 ground among the ants. Three or even four have been taken 

 from a single nest at a time — a sultry afternoon in October — 

 but I have never met with it elsewhere. 



The head is so far retracted into the cavity of the thorax that 

 the labrum and the mandibles and a part of the antennae are alone 

 visible. Of these latter organs, the first joint always, and the tip 

 of the last joint generally, are seen. The first and the last joints 

 are of considerable size ; the first is long and broad and curved at 

 the base ; in repose it is brought down nearly to the mouth entirely 

 concealing the eyes. The next three joints are small, the fourth 

 being the smallest of all, 5 — 8 increase gradually, the ninth is 

 nearly as long as the first, but almost cylindrical, rounded at the 

 ends ; both the first and the ninth are far larger than all the rest 

 together. The mandibles are strong, sharp at the apex, with an 

 obsolete denticle near the middle ; the lower part is fringed with 

 set^. The maxillae are small and bilobed. The labrum is trans- 

 verse and ogee-shaped. The thorax is very transverse. The 

 elytra ai'e short, leaving exposed the last two joints of the abdo- 

 men. They are marked by four strong ridges all rising towards 

 one point, and nearly meeting behind the shoulder, the apparent 

 perforation between the points being fringed with a few stiff 

 yellowish setae. This peculiarity of formation gives the insect 

 the appearance of being transversely divided nearly in the centre. 

 The scutellum is small. The tarsi are all concealed in repose 

 in grooves in the tibiae, but the legs which are robust are not 

 received into cavities, as in Microcluetes. All the legs are very 

 widely separated. 



It is not easy to trace the afiinities of this remarkable form. 

 There is no question that it belongs to the family of the 

 Byrrhidte, notwithstanding the shortness of the elytra leaving the 

 abdomen partly uncovered, and the great distance of all the feet 

 from each other — particulars in which it is distinguished, I think, 

 from all the other members of the group. The nine jointed 

 antennae are also peculiar to itself alone of all the Byrrlddce. 



