with descriptions of several exotic species of Ants. 85 



Lastly, of the abdomen, it may be stated that the peduncu- 

 lated base is especially characteristic of the ants, and that the 

 trispinose apex is only found, as Mr. Shuckard notices, in an 

 American Ant. 



One of the most important characters employed by Mr. 

 Shuckard in his descriptions of the Dorylidce, is that derived 

 from the structure of the male genital organs, — a character 

 which has already been employed by Audouin in the Bombi, 

 and by Vander Linden and others in the Libellulidae, and 

 proved to be of very great value in determining the species of 

 these insects. Mr. Shuckard, indeed, says, that in respect to 

 its large size in the Dorylidae, Ci it exclusively resembles several 

 of the solitary Heterogynae" and hence he considers the ana- 

 logy as strongly in favour of the connexion of these genera 

 with the Mutillidce. He, however, overlooks the fact that the 

 males of all those groups which swarm in the air at certain 

 periods of the year are furnished with very large organs of 

 generation, and for a very evident purpose. This is extra- 

 ordinarily the case in the wasps, as well as in the hive-bee, 

 the Ephemerae, Chironomi, and the Ants. As regards the first 

 and last of these groups, reference may be made to the plates 

 of DeGeer's 2nd volume, or the figures 85.5, 88.6, in the 2nd 

 volume of my e Introduction/ In these groups, however, the 

 males are much smaller than their partners, and therefore the 

 analogy thence assumed in respect to the Dorylidce does not 

 necessarily exist. 



Such are the considerations which induce me (although in 

 the absence of an opportunity of ascertaining by internal dis- 

 section the state of the sexual characters of the individuals of 

 Typhlopone yet observed) to consider these insects as being 

 unquestionably neuter Ants. And as they are equally strong 

 when applied to the African genus Anomma, I have no more 

 hesitation in deeming that genus equally Formicideous, as it 

 differs only in trivial characters from Typhlopone. 



I had proposed to myself to have extended these remarks 

 to an examination of the opinions entertained by Mr. Shuck- 

 ard relative to the sexual relationship between Typhlopone 

 and Labidus, the parasitic nature of the Dorylidce, the relation- 

 ship between the latter and the Mutillida, and the observa- 

 tions on Scleroderma ; all of which I consider untenable. I 

 must, however, defer these subjects till another opportunity. 

 Before laying down my pen, however, I must express the 

 pleasure I have received from the careful manner in which 

 Mr. Shuckard has executed the descriptive portion of his me- 

 moir, and the ingenious manner in which he has treated the 

 conjectural part. 



