Habits of the " Drivers" of West Africa. 5 



Their sallies are made in cloudy days and in the night, chiefly 

 in the latter. This is owing to the uncongenial influence of the 

 sun, an exposure to the direct rays of which, especially when the 

 power is increased by reflection, is almost immediately fatal. If 

 they should be detained abroad till late in the morning of a sunny 

 day by the quantity of their prey, they will construct arches over 

 their path, of dirt agglutinated by a fluid excreted from their 

 mouth. If their way should run under thick grass, sticks, &c., 

 affording sufficient shelter, the arch is dispensed with ; if not, so 

 much dirt is added as is necessary to eke out the arch in connection 

 with them. In the rainy season, or in a succession of cloudy 

 days, this arch is seldom visible ; their path, however, is very 

 distinct, presenting a beaten appearance and freedom from every 

 thing moveable. They are evidently economists in time and 

 labour ; for if a crevice, fissure in the ground, passage under 

 stones, &c. come in their way, they will adopt them as a substi- 

 tute for the arch. This covered way seems to be designed in part 

 for the protection of workers in transporting prey, pupse, &c., 

 but chiefly against the direct rays of the sun, an exposure to which, 

 in places where the reflection is strong, is certain death in less 

 than two minutes. When the sun's rays are intercepted for days, 

 the arch is wanting; and, even with the arch, in a bright strong 

 sunshine, masses of the Drivers are found under the thick grass in 

 holes and other places, regaling themselves in the shade till the 

 decline of the sun, when their work is renewed with their charac- 

 teristic vigour. 



In cloudy days, when on their predatory excursions, or migrat- 

 ing, an arch for the protection of the workers, &c. is constructed 

 of the bodies of their largest class. Their widely extended jaws, 

 long slender limbs, and projecting antenna intertwining, form a 

 sort of net-work that seems to answer well their object. When- 

 ever an alarm is given the arch is instantly broken, and the ants, 

 joining others of the same class on the outside of the line, who 

 seem to be acting as commanders, guides, and scouts, run about 

 in a furious manner in pursuit of the enemy. If the alarm should 

 prove to be without foundation, the victory won or danger passed, 

 the arch is quickly renewed, and the main column marches for- 

 ward as before in all the order of an intellectual military dis- 

 cipline. 



I will here describe an attempt that I recently made to destroy 

 one of their communities, which, with the facts in the order in 

 which they transpired, and the collateral circumstances attending 

 it, will fairly illustrate many of their habits. 



