Species of British Formicidce, 111 



ment covered with the glittering winged males and females ; and 

 1 once noticed some swallows skimming along the pathway, feast- 

 ing on the Ants, when swarming as I have stated above. 



Genus Tapinoma, Foerst. 



Maxillary palpi 6-jointed, labial palpi 4-jointed ; antennae in- 

 serted in the middle of the face, filiform, eyes placed before the 

 middle, a little within the sides of the head ; the abdomen having 

 a scale at its base, substituting the first segment, the scale oblong, 

 decumbent, received into a fovea at the base of the abdomen. 



Although the insects which form this genus partake of most of 

 the characters of the genus Formica, still all the species which I 

 have seen have the flagellum either filiform or subfiliform, and the 

 decumbent scale forms, apparently, a gradual approach in form to 

 the Poneridce ; I have therefore retained Foerster's genus. I am 

 acquainted with five species; one, which appears to be undcscribed^ 

 I have the pleasure of adding myself; it was captured by^Mr. 

 Dale in Wales. 



Tapinoma erratica. 

 Foemina. — Nigro-fusca, cinerascenti-micans, pilositate abdominis 



dorso vix conspicua ; pedibus fuscis, tibiarum apice tarsisque 



rufescentibus ; metathorace dorso abbreviate, squama oblonga, 



subrectangula, depressa, fovea basali segmenti secundi recepta, 



vix conspicua ; abdomine thorace latiori ventreque pilositate 



longiori et magis conspicua praedito, 

 Operar'ia. — Nigra, nitida, glabra, angustior, palpis et pedibus 



fuscis, geniculis tarsisque rufo-pallidis; squama sicut in foemina; 



abdomine subrotundato. 

 Mas. — Niger, nitidus, antennis thorace longioribus ; mandibulis 



multidentatis, apice acutissimo, pedum articulis tarsisque pallide 



rufescentibus ; squama crassa, oblonga, supra rotundata ; alis 



fusco-hyalinis; abdomine oblongo-ovata. 



Formica erratica, Latr. Hist. Nat. Fourm., p. 183. 



Formica glabrella, Nyland. Addit. Adno. Mon. Form., p. 38 ^ . 



Tapinoma collina, Foerster, Hym. Stud. Form., 43, 21, Gen. 

 2, 5 , 5 . 



Female. — Length 2 lines. Not yet found in this country, the 

 above diagnosis is from Foerster's Monograph. 



Worker. — Length 1| lin. Black, elongate, smooth and shining, 

 not pubescent ; the scape obscurely ferruginous towards the base, 

 the extreme base of the flagellum rufo- testaceous ; the teeth of the 



