226 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



termites often completely alters the aspect of the forest, all 

 the trunks of the big trees being coated with the soil of the 

 locality. For instance, in parts of Chota Nagpur where the 

 soil is a deep red, the prevailing colour of the bark of the sal 

 trees was red. One came to associate this colour with the 

 stem of the tree, and a transfer to another part of India, where 

 the trees were grey, or higher up in the foothills their own 

 natural colour, came as something of a shock. The termite 

 has its uses in the Indian forest, for it rapidly disposes of 

 the vast amount of refuse branches and dead fallen stems 

 which without its aid would accumulate on the forest floor 

 and greatly add to the risk of fires and increase their intensity 

 when they took place, in addition to making progression 

 impossible for man or beast. 



The bear is very fond of the termites, breaking down the 

 heaps, inserting his nose and snuffing up and devouring 

 hundreds of the little insects at a gulp. 



And to the sportsman the ant heap has its uses. For it 

 affords an excellent shelter behind which to take cover when 

 a badly placed shot at one of the dangerous animals results 

 in a vicious charge. For the character and density of the 

 jungle one is in must of necessity determine the target 

 afforded, and one's luck is so often " out " in this respect. 

 I have, perhaps, an especial affection for the domain of the 

 white ant, as one of the erections saved me from a charge 

 of an infuriated bison on an occasion when fortune went 

 against me at the first encounter. My subsequent strategy 

 and tactics, ending in the death of the bull, were based 

 upon and continued round several of these architectural 

 structures. 



With this end in view I recommend them to the sports- 

 man. 



