species of British FormicidcB. 109 



shining, having a transverse depressed line at its anterior margin ; 

 the eyes and ocelli prominent, the latter has the posterior pair 

 elevated on the vertex ; wings hyaline, the nervures pale testa- 

 ceous ; the scale nearly square : abdomen slightly pubescent and 

 pointed at the apex. 



The female of F.Jlava is very likely to be confounded with the 

 female of F. nigra ; it may be distinguished by the form of the 

 discoidal cell, which is much narrowed towards the first cubital 

 cell, mfusca it is slightly narrowed, or subquadrate ; the wings 

 o? fusca are different, being milky-white ; the abdominal scale is 

 also very different to that offusca. 



The male of F. nigra may be distinguished by its amplitude of 

 wings, which are 2| lines long, those o^ flava are 1| lin. 



This is probably the most universally distributed species in 

 this country ; it is found everywhere, and is well known as the 

 turf Ant; it raises its nests in fields and on banks, and abounds in 

 some of our open moor lands to an incalculable extent.* By dili- 

 gent search I have little doubt that its two congeneric species, F. 

 iimbrata and F. affinis, will prove to be of frequent occurrence. 

 This Ant constructs its Formicarium under stones in fields ; and 

 here will be found the interesting Claviger fovcolatus, in societies 

 formed in banks ; its detection is difficult : we are only on the 

 threshold of our investigations of these interesting insects, and 

 some future Monographist will probably double the number of the 

 species at present known to be indigenous. 



Sp. 8. Formica nigra. 



Fcemina. — Fusco-nigrescens, dense undique cinereo-micans, ni- 

 tida, mandibulis antennis obscure rufescentibus ; pedum arti- 

 culis tarsisque pallide rufescentibus ; alis lacteo-albis, nervis 

 et stigmate pallide testaceis) squama verticaliter subrectangulari, 

 supra angulis rotundatis et medio subangulatim emarginato. 



Operaria. — Fusco-nigra, cinereo-micans, nitida, sparse flavido-pi- 

 losula, antennarum scapis et mandibulis rufescentibus ; tarsis, 

 pedum articulis pallide testaceis; squama subrectangulari, supra 

 parum vel vix emarginato. 



Mas. — Fusco-niger, parum cinereo-micans, nitidus ; antennarum 

 flagellis fuscescentibus, articulo primo crassiusculo ; squama 

 parva, transversim subrectangulari, supra parum concaviuscula. 



* 1 have found the winged male in the Formicarium as late as tlie 5th of 

 November. 



