152 
Psyche 
[December 
I 
description appears to the writer to he utterly impossible. 
Nor do I believe that a comparison of Emery’s type with 
material now present in American collections would neces- 
sarily be conclusive. Since the Vera Cruz specimens are 
specifically different from those which occur in southern 
Arizona, there is good reason to suppose that the Miehoa- 
can type is also different. In all likelihood, therefore, a 
comparison of Emery’s type with females taken in southern 
Arizona would merely substitute a new problem for an old 
one. For, unless the two proved identical, we would still 
have no idea as to the characteristics of the major of 
cerberulus. In all probability the nature of Emery’s cer- 
berulus will remain enigmatical until extensive collections 
of arboreal ants can be made in Vera Cruz and Miehoacan. 
When complete colonies of Colobopsis can be taken in these 
states and compared with Emery’s type the primary dif- 
ficulty in the cerberulus problem may be overcome. 
But we cannot wait until this is done to deal with a 
secondary difficulty which has resulted from Wheeler’s un- 
fortunate association. Since the Vera Cruz majors are 
specifically different from specimens coming from southern 
Arizona, the least that can be done is to provide a new name 
for one or the other of these insects, in order that the 
two species can be handled without violating nomenclatori- 
al rules. I am convinced that it is best to treat the Arizona 
material as a new species for the following reasons: 
(1) . If only one new name is proposed the remaining 
species will have to be considered as cerberulus until this 
can be definitely authenticated or certainly disproved. 
(2) . From the standpoint of proximity it is much more 
likely that the Vera Cruz majors should be the same as the 
type of cerberulus. Southern Arizona lies seven hundred 
miles to the north of Vera Cruz and Miehoacan. But the 
two states themselves are separated by less than two hun- 
dred miles and they lie in approximately the same latitudes. 
(3) . Any additional description in the case of the cer- 
berulus complex should deal with adequate material about 
which there must be no occasion for speculative associa- 
tion. The Arizona material fully meets this condition. 
The Vera Cruz majors obviously do not. In connection 
