18 A NATURALIST IN HIMALAYA 



continues only in the sunshine, later, as the hot season 

 advances and while the days are still pleasantly cool, 

 the harvesters toil the livelong day, careless either of 

 sunshine or shade. Still later, when the heat increases 

 and the sun's rays beat fiercely on the earth, the ants 

 evade the warmth that they first enjoyed and abandon 

 all work except in the cool hours of the morning and 

 evening. They are not such slaves to the sun as the 

 harvesters of America, which so delight in the warmth 

 that they refuse to construct their nests in shady 

 places, and will either desert the nest or cut down the 

 overhanging leaves if the latter should intercept the 

 full light of the sun. The Messor ants do not object 

 to a well-shaded nest ; in fact in midsummer it is an 

 advantage to them, for the ants will then work through 

 the heat of the day round about the nest, and continue 

 to collect the harvest wherever there is suitable shade. 

 They will not then extend their operations into the 

 full sunlight until the cool of the evening. Rain 

 greatly disturbs the even life of the formicary. It 

 checks all industry, obliterates the roads, washes the 

 sand and gravel down the orifice to obstruct the 

 tunnels of the nest. In these hills the rains are 

 frequent and intermittent, and the ants have as a 

 consequence to perform much unproductive labour 

 after every downpour. From within the nest they 

 pull away the obstructing debris grain by grain and 

 are ultimately set free. On one occasion, after an 

 unusually heavy storm, the ants did not escape from 

 their prison until two and a half hours after the rain 

 had ceased. The brisk and active manner in which 

 they ran about the opening suggested that they were 

 highly pleased at their release. 



