CHAPTER XII 



HYMENOPTERA 



Ants. 



The ant that most obtrusively calls for notice is the 

 well known Dorylus or " Safari ant," known to the 

 Baganda as " Ensanafu " and in Kiswahili called 

 " Siafu." 1 



This totally blind reddish ant varies exceedingly in 

 size, the largest individuals being half an inch long and 

 several times larger than the smallest, but it is diificult 

 to make out any difference in their functions. 



They live entirely by hunting live prey, and ov/ing 

 to their incredible numbers must destroy very many 

 of the creatures that are unable to escape them. They 

 make temporary subterranean nests, which are easilyJ 

 discovered on account of the piles of loose earth that] 

 has been brought up from below grain by grain, and] 

 the numerous large irregular holes leading down to the] 

 burrows and chambers in which the queen lives and the] 

 young are reared. The queen is a curious looking creature,! 

 with abdomen much enlarged, as is the case with thej 

 well known queen termite, but in the latter the 

 distension is very much greater. 



Queen Dorylus are rare in museums, probably becausej 

 of the courage that is required to dig one out of the nest 

 among the hordes of ferociously biting workers ; a native 

 once brought me two, but I should have liked to see 



1 Dorylus nigricans and glabratus. 

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