A Monograph of the Formiciclae of South Africa. 709 



defined reticulate-puncturation. The abdomen is sometimes densely 

 pubescent, in other cases the body is more or less sparsely pubescent 

 and pilose, the pilose hairs on the epinotum and scale being in some 

 species thick, bristly and whitish. In all our species except Bar- 

 barossa, the upper part of the epinotum is compressed and the dorsal 

 face is more or less clearly marginate, meeting the more or less vertical 

 sides rectangularly. Except in Barbarossa, the junction of the two 

 faces of the epinotum is also rectangular, the declivity being sometimes 

 excavated or concave from above to below, so that its brow appears 

 to overhang the rest of its surface. In most cases the petiole has a 

 scale, in a few it is nodiform. A distinct $ media caste does not seem 

 to occur. The right of Barbarossa to a place in this sub-genus, as 

 defined by its author, appears to me to be exceedingly doubtful. The 

 epinotum is not marginate, nor do the sides and declivity meet the 

 dorsal face in a rectangle. If the definition of the sub-genus may 

 be widened so as to embrace this species, then it would be quite as 

 legitimate to include Dofleini Forel, within its limits. But that 

 species, although clearly related to Mayri, is nevertheless placed by 

 Forel in the sub-genus Myrmosphincta. On the other hand, one might 

 transfer Barbarossa to the latter sub-genus. I have adopted the 

 former course, since Barbarossa, notwithstanding the structure of its 

 epinotum, is clearly allied to vividus, and also because the sub-genus 

 Myrmosphincta appears to me to be ill defined or too artificial, (e.g. 

 C. intrepidus Kirby, which is placed by Forel in that sub-genus, has 

 the thorax no more strongly excised, echancre, between the meso- 

 and epinotum than have many species of the sub-genera Myrmoturba 

 and Myrmosericus). 



Key to the species of Orthonotomyrmex, 2| and $. 



(12) 1. Dorsum of the epinotum quadrilateral and rectangular, or nearly so, 

 meeting the sides and declivity more or less rectangularly ; the upper 

 half, at least, of the sides and of the declivity vertical. 



(3) 2. Node of petiole one-third wider than epinotum, very coarsely rugose and 

 dentate at the sides .... scabrinodis, Arnold. 



(2) 3. Node of petiole not wider than epinotum, not so coarsely sculptured and 

 not dentate at the sides. 

 (11) 4. Dorsum of epinotum clearly marginate on each side, or with its face 

 more or less excavated and the lateral margins prominent ; at least the 

 head and thorax strongly and deeply reticulate-punctate. 



(8) 5. Petiole with a node, more or less cuboid. 



(7) 6. Abdomen with a dense, silky, dull bronzy-golden pubescence ; dorsum of 

 epinotum almost a parallelogram, excavated lengthwise, hardly wider 

 behind than in front ..... sericeus, Fab. 



