IN THE PACIFIC. 131 



unlucky tree in the neighbourhood. There are 

 several ways of preventing their depredations. 

 Perhaps the simplest is to dig a trench round 

 each plant and fill it with water. It is said 

 that corrosive sublimate sprinkled across their 

 path will drive them mad, when they attack 

 and destroy one another. Coal tar will also 

 turn them ; and another plan is to tie wisps of 

 grass round the trees with the points down- 

 wards ; the ants endeavour to pass the obstacle 

 and lose themselves amongst the blades. 



Whenever an ants' nest is discovered near 

 any plantation it is at once destroyed. These 

 nests are generally five or six feet underground ; 

 and it is a curious fact that they invariably 

 contain a snake, or one or more scorpions, living 

 in harmony with the ants. What they are doing 

 there I cannot say ; probably the ants provide 

 them with food, and in return are protected 

 against a common enemy ; but it certainly 

 seems as though they had some understanding 

 between each other. 



We had been at Tepic nearly a month, when 

 K 2 



