170 FOEMICID^. 



two slender, somewhat curved spines ; legs as in M. bicolor. 

 Pedicel : the 1st node cuneiform, transversely acute above, some- 

 times bidentate ; 2nd node globose, armed posteriorly above with 

 a distinct rather thick tooth pointing backwards ; abdomen more 

 massive than in any other Indian species, cordiform. 



Length, 4-4-5 mm. 



Hob. Western ]ndia, Kanara (Bell $ Wroughton). 



194. Meranoplus rothneyi, Forel, Rev. Suisse Zool. x (1902), p. 241, . 



" . Mandibles striate. armed with 4 teeth. Clypeal carinae 

 less wide apart than in M. belli. Frontal area striate, indistinct. 

 Head as long as broad, trapeziform, constricted anteriorly, its 

 posterior margin convex. Eyes large, placed in the posterior 

 third of the head. Scape incrassate along the apical half. Pro- 

 mesonotal suture absent, the pronotal angles acute, subdentiform ; 

 pro-mesonotum nearly square, a little compressed posteriorly, 

 margined laterally with a lamellate border, rectilinear, without 

 teeth, spines, or emargination, and terminating posteriorly in two 

 teeth, broad and long, flattened, horizontal and obtuse ; between 

 the two teeth is a wide semicircular emargiuation, and in the 

 middle of the emargination a small secondary incision. The 

 posterior margin of the mesonoturn also emarginate, forming a 

 lamellate carina overhanging the rnetanotum. The latter has only 

 a subvertical surface, bordered laterally by carin which are armed 

 in the middle with a slender pointed spine longer than half the 

 metanotum. First node of the pedicel squamiform, very slightly 

 conical ; 2nd node twice as broad as long, as broad as the 1st node. 

 Abdomen oval, emarginate and somewhat submargined anteriorly. 

 Shining, longitudinally striate. The stria? are reticulate, especially 

 on the thorax and pedicel, little prominent or regular. Metanotum 

 transversely striate. Abdomen finely reticulate, slightly subopaque. 

 Pilositv pale yellow as in M. belli. Yellow, slightly reddish. 

 Abdomen clear brown. Legs and scape of the antenna; yellow. 



" Length, % 2-5-2'8 mm." (Forel.) 



Hob. Recorded so far from Cochin only (Nothney). 



In Mr. Kothney's fine collection of Indian ants, kindly lent to 

 me, there are two specimens of this very distinct species. Unfor- 

 tunately both specimens have been rather besmeared with gum in 

 mounting, rendering it difficult to make out the sculpture ; I have 

 preferred therefore to quote Dr. Forel's original description of 

 the species. 



195. Meranoplns laeviventris, Emery, Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. xxvii 



(1889), p. 506, $ , pi. 10, fig. 16. 



. Head, thorax, legs and pedicel of the abdomen dark reddish 

 ferruginous, abdomen clear pellucid brown to dark chestnut-brown ; 

 pilosity soft, abundant, long, but not so long as in M. bicolor, and 

 somewhat sparser on the abdomen. Head, pro-mesonotal shield 



