1851.] 



A Catalogue of the Species of Ants, Sfc. 



103 



V. A Catalogue of the Species of Ants found in Southern India, 

 By T. C. Jerdon, Esq., Assistant Surgeon, Madras Medical 

 Establishment. Communicated by Walter Elliot, Esq.* 



I have been induced to pen the following brief account of the 

 Ants I have met with in Southern India, more with the view of 

 stimulating others to record their observations on any species they 

 may meet with, than under a sense of the value or completeness of 

 the remarks that are to be found here. But no one, as yet, having 

 taken the initiative, I trust that any errors in the accompanying 

 paper will be pardoned by the scientific Entomologist at home, and 

 that the meagre details I have given will be improved on and ren- 

 dered more faithful and complete by observers in this country. 



To enable any observers in this country, who may be able and 

 willing to aid science on this subject, I shall here present them 

 with a view of the classification of these interesting Insects by 

 modern Entomologists, so that they may be able, in describing one 

 which is deemed a novelty, to refer it to its place in the system, 

 even if its real genus be not satisfactorily made out, which I fear 

 will be too often the case, as I have experienced in my attempts at 

 naming those described in the following pages. 



Latreille in the Regne Animal of Cuvier places Ants as part of 

 the family of the Heterogynes, of the section Aculeata of the order 

 Hymenoptera, and divides them as follows : 



1st, Formica, without sting, the antennae inserted near the fore- 

 head, and with triangular jaws ; abdominal pedicle of only one 

 knot or scale. 



2d, Polyergus y also without a sting, but with the antennae insert- 

 ed near the mouth, and the jaws narrow, arched or bent ; abdo- 

 minal pedicle also of one knot. 



3d, Ponera, neuters and females with a sting ; abdominal pedicle 

 of one knot ; antennas thicker towards the end, jaws triangular, 

 head somewhat triangular. 



* Much difficulty has been met with in reading the manuscript of this and 

 the following papers, which may account for any errata that may be detected in 

 these two papers from their very accurate and able author. —Ed. 



