Species of British Formicidce. 133 



its entire length ; the antennae pubescent ; the head finely rugose ; 

 the mandibles stout, curved and obliquely truncated at their apex, 

 the truncation finely denticulate ; the clypeus bidentate. Thorax : 

 above finely longitudinally rugose-striate, the scutellum shining 

 and smooth ; the metathoracic spines short, slightly bent outwardly ; 

 wings of a fuscous brown, the stigma large and trigonate, and, 

 as well as the nervures, fusco-testaceous ; the wings covered with 

 very fine short pubescence, and their margins ciliated with short 

 hairs ; the legs, neck and suture of the scutellum pale ferruginous ; 

 the thorax at the sides and beneath and also the nodes rufo-fus- 

 cous; tlie latter coarsely rugose. Abdomen: shining, oblong-ovate, 

 and slightly widest posteriorly. 



Worker. — Not known. 



Male. — Length Ig lines. Dark fusco-testaceous; the eyes 

 ovate, large and prominent; ocelli prominent, of a glassy bright- 

 ness ; the mouth, antennae and legs pale rufo-testaceous, the scape 

 usually fuscous above ; the antennee pubescent, the head has a 

 few scattered hairs ; the thorax above and tlie nodes finely rugose; 

 the scutellum smooth and shining in the middle ; the matathorax 

 emarginate the entire width, ihe angles prominent, sub-dentate ; 

 wings of a rather paler colour than in the female. Abdomen 

 oblong-ovate, smooth, shining and having, as well as the nodes, 

 a few scattered long hairs. 



Although this genus very closely approximates to that of Myr- 

 m'lca, still the different neuration of the wings, a certain difference 

 in the proportions of the antennae, and of the structure of the nodes 

 of the abdomen, constitute a series of characters which I consider 

 of generic value. It is not by the examination of the single British 

 species that I am induced to arrive at this conclusion ; others 

 from New Holland, &c., show a beautiful modification in form 

 between this and allied genera. I must observe, however, that 

 the males of some species have their mandibles more or less de- 

 veloped. 



This species was discovered by Mr. Curtis some years ago : at 

 that time males only were captured ; the type is beautifully figured 

 in " The British Entomology" of Mr. Curtis. I have captured 

 this apparently rare insect in the same locality that Mr. Curtis first 

 discovered it, at the back of the Isle of Wight, near Luccomb Chine, 

 when I took one female and one male; one male at Colney Hatch, 

 and one female at Camden New Town. I expect the societies, like 

 those of Ponera, must be very small, as no one has discovered the 

 worker. 



