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  PEOCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  FOTTRTH 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  irEETING 
  

  

  who 
  occupy 
  themselves 
  with 
  this 
  matter, 
  almost 
  a 
  bushel-full 
  can 
  be 
  

   collected. 
  But 
  this 
  mimber 
  is 
  not 
  always 
  so 
  large 
  ; 
  for 
  the 
  locality, 
  the 
  

   time 
  and 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  a 
  nest 
  makes 
  some 
  difference 
  thereto. 
  

  

  Though 
  it 
  clearly 
  appears 
  from 
  the 
  foregoing 
  that 
  Providence 
  has 
  

   ordered 
  the 
  flight 
  of 
  the 
  White 
  Ants 
  for 
  the 
  advantage 
  of 
  some 
  animals 
  ; 
  

   yet 
  man 
  even 
  envies 
  them 
  this 
  godsend, 
  for 
  he 
  has 
  found 
  means 
  to 
  fore- 
  

   stall 
  them 
  [i.e., 
  the 
  other 
  animals] 
  to 
  provide 
  himself 
  likewise 
  with 
  a 
  

   kind 
  of 
  food 
  composed 
  of 
  these 
  fugitives 
  before 
  they 
  fall 
  a 
  prey 
  to 
  these 
  

   animals 
  and 
  even 
  before 
  the 
  proper 
  time 
  of 
  their 
  flight 
  has 
  arrived. 
  

  

  With 
  this 
  object 
  * 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  these 
  parts, 
  towards 
  the 
  end 
  

   of 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  August 
  or 
  in 
  September, 
  erect 
  over 
  their 
  nests 
  little 
  huts 
  

   of 
  basket-work 
  which 
  are 
  closed 
  above 
  with 
  a 
  round 
  arch 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  size 
  

   that 
  it 
  extends 
  over 
  the 
  breadth 
  and 
  height 
  of 
  a 
  nest. 
  These 
  they 
  

   cover 
  quite 
  thickly 
  with 
  clay 
  ; 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  they 
  make 
  a 
  round 
  opening 
  

   which 
  principally 
  [as 
  the 
  main 
  point] 
  has 
  a 
  position 
  coinciding 
  with 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  principal 
  entrance 
  into 
  the 
  nest, 
  so 
  that 
  they 
  can 
  apply 
  and 
  

   fasten 
  a 
  large 
  jar 
  about 
  as 
  big 
  as 
  a 
  bucket, 
  with 
  a 
  mouth 
  a 
  hands 
  

   breadth 
  across, 
  which 
  covers 
  the 
  hole 
  in 
  the 
  hut. 
  Then 
  they 
  let 
  the 
  hut 
  

  

  * 
  The 
  procedure, 
  as 
  carried 
  on 
  in 
  the 
  Coimbatore 
  District 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  day, 
  is 
  very 
  

   similar 
  but 
  differs 
  in 
  details, 
  At 
  Coimbatore 
  the 
  emergence 
  of 
  the 
  winged 
  Termites 
  is 
  

   said 
  to 
  occur 
  as 
  a 
  rule 
  after 
  the 
  first 
  rainfall 
  in 
  the 
  Tamil 
  month 
  of 
  Audi, 
  correspond- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  July. 
  

  

  At 
  this 
  time 
  of 
  year 
  the 
  professional 
  Termite-catcher 
  (known 
  as 
  a 
  Valayan 
  in 
  these 
  

   parts) 
  selects 
  a 
  suitable 
  mound, 
  slices 
  off 
  the 
  top 
  level 
  with 
  the 
  ground 
  and 
  pours 
  

   water 
  over 
  it. 
  A 
  framework 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  domed 
  hut 
  is 
  then 
  built 
  

   over 
  the 
  mound 
  and 
  composed 
  of 
  twigs 
  and 
  small 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  Babul 
  {Acacia 
  arabica) 
  

   or 
  some 
  other 
  tree, 
  and 
  this 
  framework 
  is 
  then 
  covered 
  thickly 
  with 
  leafy 
  twigs, 
  preferably 
  

   of 
  the 
  Persian 
  Nim 
  Tree 
  {Melia 
  Azadirachta), 
  though 
  why 
  this 
  is 
  preferred 
  to 
  others 
  is 
  

   not 
  stated 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  used 
  probably 
  because 
  the 
  Persian 
  Nim 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  tree 
  hereabouts. 
  

   A 
  small 
  opening 
  of 
  a 
  size 
  sufficient 
  to 
  admit 
  the 
  Valayan'' 
  s 
  hand, 
  is 
  left 
  in 
  the 
  framework 
  

   (Plate 
  LV, 
  fig. 
  1), 
  though 
  this 
  also 
  is 
  ultimately 
  closed 
  up 
  with 
  leaves. 
  Close 
  to 
  

   this 
  opening 
  and 
  about 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  mound 
  is 
  excavated 
  a 
  pit 
  about 
  a 
  foot 
  

   deep 
  and 
  twelve 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter 
  and 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  this 
  pit 
  is 
  narrowed 
  by 
  placing 
  

   leaves 
  of 
  Calotropis 
  gigantea 
  (Tamil 
  Yeruham) 
  around 
  it. 
  (Plate 
  LV, 
  fig. 
  4). 
  The 
  

   inside 
  of 
  the 
  pit 
  is 
  smoothly 
  plastered 
  with 
  mud 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  then 
  about 
  half 
  filled 
  with 
  water. 
  

   Or 
  sometimes 
  an 
  earthenware 
  pot 
  is 
  buried 
  in 
  the 
  pit 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  half 
  filled 
  with 
  water. 
  

   Everything 
  being 
  now 
  in 
  readiness, 
  the 
  Valayan 
  takes 
  a 
  small 
  quantity 
  of 
  a 
  powder 
  

   made 
  of 
  equal 
  proportions 
  of 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  Tephrosia 
  spinosa, 
  Pers. 
  (Tamil 
  Molkolingi) 
  

   and 
  the 
  seeds 
  of 
  Hrythrina 
  indica 
  (Tamil 
  Mulmurungai), 
  baked 
  and 
  powdered 
  together, 
  

   and 
  blows 
  this 
  powder 
  into 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  galleries 
  exposed 
  by 
  slicing 
  off 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  

   nest. 
  This 
  powder 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  cause 
  the 
  Termites 
  some 
  inconvenience 
  and 
  to 
  hasten 
  their 
  

   emergence. 
  Having 
  blown 
  the 
  powder 
  in, 
  the 
  Valayan 
  lights 
  a 
  small 
  lamp 
  and 
  places 
  it 
  

   by 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  pit, 
  and 
  then 
  closes 
  up 
  the 
  hut 
  with 
  leaves. 
  The 
  winged 
  Termites 
  

   fly 
  out 
  and 
  fall 
  into 
  the 
  water 
  contained 
  in 
  the 
  cavity, 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  collected. 
  

  

  A 
  reasonably 
  good 
  catch 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  yield 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  two 
  Madras 
  measures 
  (of 
  about 
  

   3 
  lbs. 
  weight 
  each) 
  from 
  a 
  single 
  termitarium. 
  After 
  collection 
  the 
  Termites 
  are 
  dried 
  

   in 
  the 
  sun, 
  when 
  their 
  wings 
  become 
  detached 
  ; 
  in 
  this 
  state 
  they 
  arc 
  sold 
  in 
  the 
  local 
  

   bazaars 
  at 
  a 
  ])rice 
  of 
  about 
  four 
  annas 
  for 
  a 
  Madras 
  measure, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  only 
  available 
  

   in 
  the 
  bazaars 
  at 
  this 
  particular 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  year. 
  Tiiey 
  arc 
  eaten 
  raw 
  mixed 
  with 
  

   parched 
  (" 
  po]iped 
  ") 
  paddy. 
  Only 
  the 
  lower 
  castes 
  cat 
  this 
  food 
  ; 
  one 
  eighth 
  of 
  a 
  Madras 
  

   measure 
  being 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  is 
  usually 
  eaten 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  ; 
  more 
  than 
  this 
  quantity 
  induces 
  

   dysentery. 
  I 
  have, 
  however, 
  been 
  unable 
  to 
  hoar 
  of 
  any 
  case 
  of 
  death 
  caused 
  by 
  over- 
  

   indulgence 
  in 
  this 
  food, 
  which 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  both 
  delicate 
  and 
  nourishing. 
  T. 
  B. 
  F. 
  

  

  