ANTS FROM THE OTWAY RANGES. 
as long, very slightly longer at base than above, anterior face vertical, convex 
toward tip, posterior face feebly convex, inclined slightly forward, spines 
slender, but a little more robust than those of pronotum, directed backward 
and upward ; a short blunt tooth on the ventral surface in front, directed 
forward. Gaster slightly longer than broad, front and sides strongly convex. 
Legs slender. 
Female. — Length, 4.3 mm. 
Colour and pilosity as in the worker. Sculpture much coarser. Head as 
broad as long, occipital border almost straight. Mandibles and clypeus as in 
worker. Scapes extending beyond occipital border by one-third their length. 
Eyes and ocelli slightly larger. Pronotum broader than long, angles broadly 
rounded. Mesonotum one-third broader than long, posterior border straight, 
parapsidal furrows distinct. Scutellum one-fifth broader than long, oval. 
Epinotum almost four times broader than long, posterior border with two short, 
broad, sharp-pointed teeth-like spines. In profile pronotum truncate in front, 
suture deeply impressed. Mesonotum and scutellum feebly convex above. 
Epinotum low, dorsum and declivity united, convex, spines of dorsum slender 
and sharp, as long as dorsum, directed slightly backward, spines of declivity 
short, sharp, placed just below middle of lateral border. Node one-fourth 
broader than long, oval, spines long, broad at base, sharp at apex, inner 
borders straight, outer borders convex ; in profile twice as high as long, thickest 
at base, anterior and posterior faces convex, spines slender, directed backward 
and upward ; a sharp blunt tooth in front below directed forward. Gaster 
slightly longer than broad. Legs robust. 
Habitat. — Gellibrand . 
A small colony under a log. On being disturbed they 
instantly rolled themselves up and lay motionless. 
Genus PROLASIUS Forel 1892. 
Prolasius abruptus, sp. nov. 
(PI. IV, fig. 25.) 
Worker . — Length, 3.5 mm. 
Ferruginous ; mandibles, antennae and legs lighter ; gaster brownish. * 
Subopaque, very finely and densely punctate. Mandibles finely striate. 
Hair yellow, long, slender and erect, almost confined to gaster, clvpeus, 
mandibles and apex of scapes. Pubescence greyish, very fine, adpressed, 
abundant throughout but not hiding the sculpture. 
Head very slightly longer than broad, sides and occipital border convex, 
angles broadly rounded. Mandibles triangular, with six large sharp teeth. 
Clypeus not carinate, bluntly pointed in front. Frontal area transversely 
triangular. Frontal carinae short, barely as long as broad in front, parallel. 
Scapes extending beyond occipital border by barely half their length ; first 
segment of funiculus twice as long as two following together, second and third 
as long as broad, fourth to tenth longer than broad, apical as long as two 
preceding together. Eyes large, circular, rather flat, placed at middle of 
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