Species of British Formicidce. 113 



and of about the same length as the flagellum, the latter nearly 

 filiform, the two apical joints being only slightly thickened. 

 Thorax : smooth and shining, rounded anteriorly, slightly nar- 

 rowed posteriorly, and strangulated at the junction of the meso-and 

 metathorax, the latter emarginate behind, the emargination ex- 

 tending the entire width, the lateral angles obtuse ; the scale 

 of the abdomen decumbent, elongate, slightly narrowed at the 

 base and rounded above. . Abdomen ovate, smooth and shining, 

 sprinkled with a ^ew long pale hairs. 



The only species which approaches this insect is the Tapinoma 

 nitens of Mayr ; but that has the scape shorter than the flagellum, 

 and the latter is sub-clavate, the scale is much wider above, and 

 the abdomen dark rufo-fuscous. I have only seen the single ex- 

 ample described ; it is in the collection of J. C. Dale, Esq., who 

 captured it in Wales. 



Fam. 1. PONERID^, Smith. 

 Genus PoNEUA, Latr. 

 Head elongate, flagellum of the antennae clavate in the females 

 and workers, filiform in the males ; inserted before the middle of 

 the face: the maxillary palpi short, subsetaceous, 6 -jointed, the 

 labial palpi 4-jointed ; the clypeus short, transverse ; the ocelli 

 anol eyes obsolete in the workers ; wings having one marginal, 

 two sub-marginal and two discoidal cells ; the abdominal scale 

 sub-nodiform, incrassate ; the margins of the second and third 

 segments constricted. 



Sp. 1. Ponera conlracta, 



Fcemina. — Elongata, sub-cylindrica, fusca ; mandibulis, clypeo, 

 antennis pedibusque pallide rufis ; oculis magnis, subovalibus, 

 hirtulis ; ocellis distinciis ; capite magno, confertim punctulato, 

 sub-opaco ; alis hyalinis,nervis subflavescentibus : squama altis- 

 sima, crassa, antice convexa, postice Isevissima concaviuscula ; 

 abdomine elongato-ovali, margine parum fusco-testacea. 



Operaria. — Fusco-brunnea, sub-nitida, pube cinerascenti sub- 

 depressa, pilis sparsis erectis ; oculis obsoletis, ocellis nullis. 



Mas. — Niger, nitidissimus, pube sericea ; pedibus fuscis, tibiis 

 tarsisque rufescentibus ; antennis elongatis, scapo minimo, 

 pedicello subgloboso, reliquis articulis cylindricis ; oculis valde 

 prominulis, ocellis sat magnis ; abdominis segmento primo 

 scjuama crassa, antice posticeque subconvexa ; segmento ultimo 

 processu spinifonni deorsum flexo ; alis ut in focmina. 



VOL. III. N. S. PART IV. APR. 1855. I 



