6 Annals of the South Africdn Museum. 



tolerably distinct from the sides, but is confluent with them when 

 it is rounded or convex. Similarly the dorsum merges into the 

 declivity when the slope of the latter is very gradual. 



For the convenience of the student who wishes to consult the 

 original descriptions of the Continental authors, the following 

 glossary of synonyms is appended : — 



Epistome = clypeus. 



Aretes frontales = frontal carinae. 



Fosses antennaires = antennal sockets, or antennal hollows in the 

 Odontomachini. 



Metanotum, in the £ =epinotum. 



Propodeum = epinotum. 



Face basale, of epinotum or metanotum = dorsum of epinotum. 



Post-petiole = first abdominal segement. 



Sillons de Mayr = convergent Y-shaped grooves on the mesonotum 

 in the male, or, Mayrian furrows. 



Family FOBMICIDAE. 



The family Formicidae is divided into five sub-families, viz. 

 Ponerinae, Dorylinae, Myrmicinae, Dolichoderinae, and Campono- 

 tinae. Of these the first, with which we are now concerned, is the 

 most primitive, and from which, it is generally agreed, the others 

 have originated. 



The Ponerinae flourish chiefly in the tropical regions of the globe, 

 being poorly represented in the temperate zones ; in South Africa 

 they compose about 20 per cent, of the known ant fauna, a not 

 inconsiderable portion. 



The phenomenon of polymorphism which is so frequently observed 

 in the Dorylinae, Myrmicinae, and Camponotinae is almost entirely 

 absent in this sub-family. Megaponera foetens may possibly furnish 

 an exception : in this ant the individuals are of two sizes, the smaller 

 form, which differs considerably in appearance from the larger, having 

 been described originally as a distinct species (crassicornis, Gerst.). 

 It is, however, very probable that the larger form represents an 

 ergatoid female, in which case this species is exceptional in having 

 not one such female as is usually the rule when they occur, but as 

 many or more females as there are true workers.* 



* See note to the description of this species, p. 48. 



