222 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



Another insect to beware of is the red ant — a most 

 pestilential inhabitant of the forests of the country. This 

 ubiquitous insect bites with a most vicious nip and the acid 

 injected irritates and invites scratching which may result 

 in festering sores. The red ant lives in the trees and builds 

 nests of the leaves. Such nests are a common sight in the 

 sal forests. The nests are constructed in an ingenious 

 manner, the edges of the green leaves being gummed 

 together. The mature ant does not possess any material 

 with which to perform this work. His gum bottle he finds 

 in the immature ant which has glands secreting a sticky 

 substance. Several of the adult ants hold the leaves to- 

 gether whilst another seizes a youngster between its 

 mandibles and uses him as the brush of the gum bottle. 

 It shows either a high form of civilization or a low form of 

 sweating to thus make the children share in the labour of 

 house-building ! 



The fact that these ants live in trees is very soon made 

 evident to the shikari man, whether on foot, in the machan, 

 on the elephant, or modestly consuming his simple lunch 

 on the ground in the shade of a tree. The ants are every- 

 where and ready to dispute for place and meal, and nip if 

 one objects. Until one becomes careful and knowledgeable 

 in their ways they will get down the neck, up the sleeves, 

 through puttees or stockings, and nip fiercely when in 

 endeavouring to eject them one incommodes or wounds 

 them. The elephant occasionally blunders into a nest, the 

 act resulting in a perfect cataract of ants which may pene- 

 trate into the recesses of the clothing before one is aware of 

 their presence. Nothing but a hurried strip in such a case 

 will get rid of them. 



Trouble may be experienced with this ant when sitting 

 up in machans, should the latter have been placed in a tree 

 occupied by nests. In such cases the ants often attack the 

 intruder, and the position may be rendered so untenable that 

 there is nothing left for it but to beat a hurried retreat. I 

 have heard of cases when during a tiger beat the occupants of 

 one or more machans had to vacate their posts and take up 

 positions at the foot of the trees, being routed by the red 

 ants. The unknown possibihties down below being prefer- 

 able to the living torture up above. 



I drew up the following cautions with reference to this 

 insect a few years ago. Here they are :-— 



