CII. VIII.] THE WHITE ANT. 149 



which at the latter end of the dry season proclaims 

 the approach of the ensuing- rains, and seldom waits 

 for a second or third shower, if the first, as is gene- 

 rally the case, happen in the night and bring much 

 wet after it. 



" The quantities that are to be found next morn- 

 ing all over the surface of the earth, but particularly 

 in the waters, is astonishing; for their wings are 

 only calculated to carry them a few hours, and after 

 the rising of the sun, not one in a thousand is to be 

 found with four wings, unless the morning continue 

 rainy, when here and there a solitary being 1 is seen, 

 winging its way from one place to another, as if 

 solicitous only to avoid its numerous enemies T par 

 ticularly the various species of ants which are hunt 

 ing on every spray, on every leaf, and in every pos- 

 sible place, for this unhappy race : hence probably 

 not a pair in many millions gets into a place of 

 safety to fulfil the first law of nature, and lay the 

 foundation of a new community. 



" Not only all kinds of ants, birds, and carnivorous 

 reptiles, as well as insects, are upon the hunt for 

 them ; but the inhabitants of many countries, and 

 particularly of some parts of Africa, eagerly seize 

 upon them." 



On the following 1 morning, however, they are to 

 be seen running- upon the ground in chase of each 

 other. From one of the most active, industrious, 

 and rapacious, from one of the most fierce and im- 

 placable little animals in the world, they are now 

 become the most innocent, helpless, and cowardly; 

 never making the least resistance to the smallest ant. 



The ants are to be seen on every side in infinite 

 numbers, drag-ging to their different nests these 

 annual victims of the laws of nature. It is won- 

 derful that a pair should ever escape so many dan- 

 gers, and get into a place of safety ; some, however, 

 do in fact escape, and being found by some of the 

 labouring insects that are continually running about 

 N2 



