A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 409 



dorsal profile is not a continuous convexity, being broken at the 

 anterior third of the mesonotum by a shallow depression. The dorsum 

 of the epinotum is more deeply excavated longitudinally and has wider 

 and more obtuse lateral angles ; the declivity is oblique, not vertical 

 as in capensis. The first node of the petiole is thinner above, the 

 posterior dorsal face longer and sloping more steeply backwards ; the 

 second node is much more transverse and more convex from back to 

 front and is one and two-thirds wider than long. 



5 media, 8 mm. <£> minor, 5 - 5 mm. These differ from the ^ 

 major in having the head longer than wide. The dorsal profile of the 

 promesonotum forms a continuous curve in the ^ minor, and is 

 barely interrupted in the $ media. The first node is higher, the 

 summit very feebly emarginate ; the second node is longer, quite as 

 long as wide in the ^ minor, and almost so in the ^ media. 



$ . 14 mm. Pronotum very finely striate and somewhat rugulose. 

 The mesonotum without any distinct impunctate areas. 



$ . 9 - 7 mm. Abdomen smooth and shining all over. Epinotum 

 without a trace of tubercles ; mesonotum shallowly punctate, only the 

 posterior fourth feebly and longitudinally striate. 



Otherwise Mayr's description of the sexes of capensis applies equally 

 well to these specimens. However, the following characters should 

 also be noted. In both sexes the mesonotum overhangs the pronotum 

 so that the latter is not visible from above. The mesonotum and 

 scutellum have a median longitudinal impression, less pronounced in 

 the $ than in the $ . In the $ the dorsum of the epinotum is very 

 oblique and joins the declivity in a gradual curve. In the $ the 

 sides of the declivity are marginate, the margins ending above in slight 

 angles (hardly tubercles). The petiole of the $ is like that of the 

 £ major, but the peduncle of the first joint is shorter, the node more 

 deeply emarginate above, its anterior face vertical, the posterior face 

 rounded and subvertical. The nodes in the $ are much flatter and 

 more quadrangular than in the $ or $ . Legs of the $ long and 

 slender. Wing nervures in both sexes yellowish-brown. 



This variety is very common in the neighbourhood of Bulawayo. It 

 is eminently a harvesting ant, usually collecting the seeds of one 

 particular kind of grass. The rejected husks of these seeds are 

 deposited in a circle all round the entrance of the nest, one half of 

 the circle being generally deeper than the other, which may be due to 

 the prevailing winds. These rubbish heaps when made by a populous 

 colony sometimes reach very large dimensions, covering as much as 

 one square foot of ground, and from one to three inches deep. The site 

 of such a nest is very plainly indicated by these accumulations, since 



