246 A. Forel — Indian Ants of the Indian Mttssum, Calcutta. [No. 3, 



Genus BOTHROPONERA. 

 Mayr, Verh. k. k. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien. xii. 1862. 



19. B. RUFiPES, Jerdon (Madr. Journ. Lit. & Sc. 1851, 119 : 

 Fonera), ^. Sibsagar. 



In the same box with B. rufipes (Sibsagar Assam ^-^) is another 

 £othroponera, which differs from B. rufipes only in having two stout, 

 blunt, triangular, and flattened spines at the metanotum. These spines, 

 or lamelliform large teeth, have a posterior concavity, which is directly 

 continued into the declivous surface of the metanotum and sharp edged 

 in common therewith, whilst the anterior convex side is directly con- 

 tinuous with the basal and lateral surface. 



This toothed Bothroponera agrees in every respect with the descrip- 

 tion of " PacJiycondyla (Bothroponera) bispinosa, Smith " (Cat. Brit. Mus. 

 p. 107) ; only the longer tooth at the lateral angles of the scale is 

 wanting. 



Now Mayr (Journ. Mus. Godeffroy Hamburg, XII, 1876, p. 32) has 

 found that Bothroponera piliventris, Sm., an Australian species closely 

 allied to B. rufipes, offers a very peculiar sort of dimorphism in the ^, the 

 first category of ^ having a narrow and entire scale, the second a broad 

 and emarginate one. 



The toothed Bothroponera (hispinosa) from Sibsagar agrees so com- 

 pletely in every minute detail, except the teeth or spines, with G. rufipes^ 

 that I venture to suggest that the two belong to the same species and 

 constitute a new case of dimorphism in the ^ of ants, P. hispinosa 

 being the dimorphic form of P. rufipes. 



It is easy to confirm or to refute my supposition by the observation 

 of the living colony, especially of the pupae in the nests. 



Genus Odontoponeka. 

 Mayr, Verh. k. k. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, 18G2. 



20. 0. DENTicuLATA, Smith (Cat. Brit. Mus. p. 90), ?. Sikkim. 



Genus Lobopelta. 



21. L. MUTABiLis, Smith (Proc. Lin. Soc. Zool. 1861, p. 15), ^. 

 Sibsagar. 



22. L. wooD-MASONi, n. sp., ^. Resembles the L. castanea, Mayr, 

 but very distinct by its large and wide strangulation between the meso- 

 thorax and the meta thorax. 



Length 6*2 mill. Long and narrow ; the legs and especially the 

 antennae very long. Head oval. Eyes large, flat, situated at the an- 

 terior I of the head. The second joint of the funiculus longer than the 



