CH« VIII.] THE WHITE ANT. 149 



which at the latter end of the dry season proclaims 

 the approach of the ensuing- rains, and seldom waits 

 for a second or third shower, if the first, as is gene- 

 rally the case, happen in the night and bring much 

 wet after it. 



" The quantities that are to be found next morn- 

 ing all over the surface of the earth, but particularly 

 in the waters, is astonishing ; for their wings are 

 only calculated to carry them a few hours, and after 

 the rising of the sun, not one in a thousand is to be 

 found with four wings, unless the morning continue 

 rainy, when here and there a solitary being is seen, 

 winging its way from one place to another, as if 

 solicitous only to avoid its numerous enemies, par 

 ticularly the various species of ants which are hunt 

 ing on every spray, on every leaf, and in every pos- 

 sible place, for this unhappy race : hence probably 

 not a pair in many millions gets into a place of 

 safety to fulfil the first law of nature, and lay the 

 foundation of a new community. 



" Not only all kinds of ants, birds, and carnivorous 

 reptiles, as well as insects, are upon the hunt for 

 them ; but the inhabitants of many countries, and 

 particularly of some parts of Africa, eagerly seize 

 upon them." 



On the following morning, however, they are to 

 be seen running upon the ground in chase of each 

 other. From one of the most active, industrious, 

 and rapacious, from one of the most fierce and im- 

 placable little animals in the world, they are now 

 become the most innocent, helpless, and cowardly ; 

 never making the least resistance to the smallest ant. 



The ants are to be seen on every side in infinite 

 numbers, dragging to their different nests these 

 annual victims of the laws of nature. It is won- 

 derful that a pair should ever escape so many dan- 

 gers, and get into a place of safety; some, however, 

 do in fact escape, and being found by some of the 

 labouring insects that are continually running about 



N2 



