68 Mr. F. Smith on some neiu Genera and Species 



yet hitherto no one has been fortunate enough to discover either the 

 male or female of a single species ; " their societies," says Mr. Bates, 

 " arc so numerous, and their sting so severe, that an attack upon one 

 of their colonies is not to be rashly undertaken." 



The species of the genus Crijptocerus are not unfrequently to be 

 observed on low trees and bushes in dry open places, or running 

 on branches of newly felled trees ; they also visit flowers abundantly. 

 The species generally are wood-borers, usually perforating the dead 

 branches of trees. The males and females are winged, the latter only 

 temporarily so. The typical species, C. atratus, has been observed 

 to construct its nests in the dead suspended branches of woody 

 climbers ; outside is seen a number of neatly drilled holes, but inside 

 the whole solid wood is perforated with intercommunicating galleries. 

 Each community appears to consist of a single female and two 

 kinds of workers ; the latter, in some species, are quite unlike each 

 other, differing in the form of the head, and in the armature of 

 the thorax and nodes of the peduncle. The species appear to bo 

 omnivorous, and are frequently attracted by the excrement of birds. 

 These insects, like those belonging to the genus Myrmica, do not, in 

 the pupa state, enclose themselves in cocoons. 



The new species of the genus Epomidiopteron, from Mexico, is ex- 

 ceedingly interesting ; the only one previously described was from 

 Brazil. I also describe a new species of the rare genus Trigonalys, 

 from Mexico ; Shuckard has described one from South Carolina ; two 

 are therefore known from North America, four have been discovered 

 in South America, one in Celebes, one in Australia, and one in Europe, 

 making in all nine species of this beautiful genus. 



Family Formicidae, Leach. 

 Genus Formica, Linn. 

 1. Formica cliartifex. 



Operaria. F. castaneo-rufa, vertice nigro ; thorace postice attenuate ; 

 abdominis squamula incrassata, supra rotimdata. Mas. Fusco-nigra, 

 pilis cinereis liirtula ; alis pellucidis, venis fusco quasi marginatis. 



Worker. Length 3 lines. Of a bright chestnut-red ; the vertex black ; 

 a fuscous stain on the thorax anteriorly, and the abdomen more or less 

 fuscous ; entirely smooth and shining. The front of the head very 

 prominent, and much narrowed behind the eyes ; the antennae elongate, 

 as long as the body. The thorax narrower than the head, somewhat 

 compressed behind, the metathorax curving from the base to the apex 

 downwards. Abdomen ovate, sometimes fusco-ferruginous, sometimes 



