5l)i THE XORTHERX FORESTS. [Pakt IX. 



occurrence with travellers in tliese forests. I was sud- 

 denly awakened by a violent smarting in my face and 

 neck, and from my throat and shoulders pulled off 

 handfuls of insects, that were biting me intolerably. 

 On starting from my bed, my feet and ankles were 

 instantly assailed. The tent was dark, but obtaining a 

 hght from the watch-fire, I found myself covered with 

 large black ants, each half an inch long, and furnished, 

 with powerful mandibles, with which they inflicted the 

 torment I had felt. In one of their migrations, a colony 

 of these fierce creatures, called Kaddias by the Singha- 

 lese, had approached my tent in a stream four or five 

 feet in breadtli, and composed of myriads of individuals. 

 They had made their way in under the canvas of the 

 tent ; and, on finding my bed in the fine of their march, 

 had held on their course, as their custom is, directly 

 across it, descending again to the floor of the tent, and 

 streaming out at the opposite side into the jungle. My 

 pillow and sheets were hterally black with their num- 

 bers. In their onslaught, however, they use only their 

 mandibles, and bite without infusing any venom into the 

 wound, which does not inflame hke the bite of the hiU- 

 ant at home. With one exception ^, I think that none of 

 the numerous species of ants in Ceylon are provided w^ith 

 the reservoir of formic acid — the injection of which so 

 aggravates the assault of the common Enghsh ant. 



On this part of our journey, instead of deferring 

 dinner till our arrival at the places where our tents 

 were pitched for the night, we frequently had it laid 

 under a tree in some open glade of the forest, and these 

 afternoon halts were full of pleasant incidents. So 

 plentiful was game in this part of the country, that on 

 one occasion at MoUia-velle between Peria-itty-madoo 



' The species alluded to is found ' sting is exti-enielyvinilent. Amonp:st 

 in the northern parts of Ceylon, and the midtitude of ants in Ceylon 

 appears to belong to the genus , tliere may be otliers similarly pro- 

 IL/rmica of Latreille. It is dis- vided witli venom, but this is the 

 tinguisluible by its elongation, and ! only one I have seen, 

 a double knot on the peduncle. Its | 



