A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 407 



Sortie specimens which have been determined by Dr. Forel as 

 belonging to the above variety differ from Mayr's description in 

 certain minor details, but in view of the tendency to variation 

 exhibited by this species, I am unwilling to separate them as a well- 

 marked variety by the use of a distinct name. To supplement 

 Mayr's description, which refers mainly to the sculpture, a fuller 

 description of these specimens is added herewith. $ major. 11mm., 

 head including closed mandibles 2"9 mm. long x 2'5 mm. wide. 

 Dark brownish-black, mandibles dark reddish-brown, the epinotum 

 sometimes a little lighter than the rest of the body, tarsi reddish- 

 brown. Head, thorax and abdomen very sparsely pilose, the hairs 

 yellowish, short and semi-erect, pubescence absent except on the 

 mandibles, legs and antennae. 



Head longitudiually striate, the striae as wide as the finely 

 punctured interspaces ; the striae converge somewhat in the middle, 

 but bend outwards at the anterior and posterior corners, and con- 

 verge inwards on the anterior margin of the clypeus. The mandibles 

 are longitudinally striate, with elongate punctures between the striae. 

 Pronotum longitudinally striate above, at the sides more or less 

 concentrically, the striae less regular than on the head. Nodes of 

 petiole finely rugulose, and also very finely and transversely striate, 

 especially on the sides and near the posterior margins. Head and 

 thorax dull, but the spaces between the striae slightly shining ; legs 

 very shallowly and sparsely punctured, slightly shining. 



Head, excluding the mandibles, quadrate, almost rectangular, the 

 sides and posterior angles feebly convex, the hind margin very 

 shallowly concave or nearly straight. Eyes convex, rather small, 

 placed a little behind the middle of the sides. Anterior margin of 

 the clypeus straight. Frontal area well defined. Frontal carinae 

 short. Scape of antenna thin, incrassate apically, strongly curved in 

 its basal half, extending back as far as the hind margin of the head ; 

 all the joints of the flagellum longer than wide. Mandibles with about 

 5 very blunt teeth. 



Thorax much narrower than the head. Pronotum as wide as long 

 in the middle. Mesonotum narrow, almost cylindrical, higher than 

 the lateral portions of the pronotum ; the dorsal profile of the pro- 

 mesonotum forms a continuous convexity. Pro-mesonotal suture 

 distinct but shallow, the meso epinotal suture deep. Dorsum of 

 epinotum straight, rising slightly from base to apex, quite twice as long 

 as wide, shallowly excavated lengthwise, the sides subvertical, the 

 posterior angles prominent and almost dentiform, the declivity vertical 

 and concave transversely. First joint of petiole with a moderately long 



