XXXVll 



It was necessary to mark time rapidly or else the ants 

 would soon have swarmed on the feet, and, when once climbed 

 up, it was necessary to run out on to the verandah and pull 

 off the biting fury, for if you paused for just the moment 

 necessary to remove one, half-a-dozen others would have 

 gained a foothold on your slippers. Keeping both feet on 

 the move therefore I procured wash-basin, soap-dish, etc., 

 and placed them beneath the four feet of the bed, which was 

 as yet untouched. These I hurriedly filled with water from 

 the jug, raised the mosquito net and jumped in to accomplish 

 disrobing in some degree of comfort. I was much disturbed 

 by the squeaking of bats (Chaerophon limhatus, probably) in 

 the roof, the occasional rush of a rat, and the continual falling 

 of particles of whitewash or grit from the ceiling, dislodged 

 by the myriad ants working along the spaces between the 

 ceiling-boards like so many ferrets searching for rabbits. 



July 4. — At daybreak the Siafu were still on the move, 

 though those on the walls had all descended and were forming 

 up into regular moving lines on the floor. Finding that fire 

 affected but a small number, the rest escaping quickly, my 

 boys and I swept up the columns and dropped shovelful after 

 shovelful into two basins of water with the surface oiled by a 

 film of paraffin. This killed them more rapidly than any- 

 thing, and in a minute or two they would cease to struggle. 

 After an hour-and-a-half's hard work scarce a Siafu was to be 

 seen. 



Towards sunset (6 p.m.) small lines issued from a hole at 

 the base of the wall (outside) and entered another hole; a 

 second line was going in the reverse direction. Neither 

 company bore any spoils, and their procedure seemed aimless 

 and foolish unless, indeed, we suppose it was a practice route 

 march for two companies to pass through each other without 

 confusion. I have noticed this with Siafu many scores of 

 times. 



At 8 p.m. a living stream, six or eight ants wide, was going 

 straight up the verandah wall, and into, or rather beneath, 

 the roof, and, next day, their track was visible as a brown 

 streak on the wall. 



At 10 p.m., on entering my bedroom, I was met with the 



