506 Annals of the South African Museum. 



quite absent in the type. The 2nd joint has a deeper groove on the 

 node and the abdomen is more shining than in the type. 

 Bulawayo. (E.M., G.A. colls.) 



C. arboeea, Smith (nee Mayr). 

 Cat. Hymen. B.M., vol. 6, p. 138, £ , 1858. 



The validity of this species (in regard to which there is considerable 

 confusion) cannot, in my opinion, be maintained. Mayr (Ann. 

 K.K.N.H. Mus., vol. 10, p. 136, footnote) definitely synonymises 

 Smith's species with tricolor, G-erst. (= castanea, Smith, race tricolor, 

 Gerst.). I am in agreement with this view on the evidence of a 

 specimen received in exchange from the British Museum, which had 

 been compared and found to agree with Smith's type by Mr. Meade- 

 Waldo. The specimen in question is a little larger than the average 

 tricolor, the spines are somewhat thinner, and the 1st segment of the 

 petiole is a fraction narrower, but otherwise not distinguishable from 

 tricolor. On the other hand, Dr. Forel in litt. supports the validity 

 of Smith's species, and points out that it differs from tricolor in its 

 larger size, the longer epinotal spines, the coarser sculpture, especially 

 on the head, the shape of the petiole, Avhich is less wide in front, and 

 the lateral discs of the 2nd node less separated. These characters 

 certainly hold good in the race melanogaster, Emery, but Mayr refers 

 this variety to his own arbor ea and not to Smith's (Ent. Tidsk., p. 251, 

 1896, footnote). 



Smith's description suffers from the vagueness which is character- 

 istic of that author's diagnoses of Forniicidae, but serves at least to 

 show not only that the specimen received from the British Museum 

 agrees in the characters tabulated and was therefore correctly identified 

 Avith Smith's species, but also that Dr. Forel is in error in ascribing 

 a coarse sculpture to arbor ea, Smith. I reproduce Smith's description 

 and the greater part of Mayr's remarks on his own species, from the 

 study of which, together with the characters presented by the race 

 melanogaster, Em., one must conclude that Smith's species ought to 

 sink as a synonym of castanea, race tricolor, G-erst. 



(Smith.) " ^. Length 2 lines (4T mm.). Pale ferruginous, with 

 very thinly scattered, short, glittering hairs ; the head subovate, 

 slightly emarginate behind, delicately striated longitudinally, the 

 mandibles with 4 strong acute teeth ; the antennae, tarsi and apex 

 of abdomen more or less fuscous. Thorax flattened on the disc, 

 deeply strangulated between the meso- and metathorax, with the 

 latter armed with 2 acute spines. Abdomen : the 1st node of 



