92 HAUNTS AND HOBBIES 



of the parent nest, and here deposited them, ready for 

 conveyance into their new domicile, a conveyance they 

 were now effecting. It was rapidly completed, for a 

 day or two after, when I again visited the spot, the 

 entire heap of the pupae had been removed, and no 

 doubt safely deposited in the recesses of the new 

 nest. 



These burtunga ants dig with almost as much 

 rapidity as they run and climb ; at least, so I conclude 

 from the following incident. Soon after I had dis- 

 covered this new colony, in the course of my strolls 

 about the compound I came on another. It must have 

 been a little longer established, or the number of the 

 colonists must have been greater, for there were far 

 more ants swarming about it. The ants, when I came 

 up, were in the act of re-entering the nest, I suppose 

 after foraging or roaming over the trees. 



I remained looking on till the ants had all entered 

 the nest, and then the idea occurred to me of digging 

 out the entrance hole and discovering how far below 

 the surface the actual nest was situated. The process 

 had to be most slowly and carefully conducted, other- 

 wise we might lose the trace of the hole, or come 

 unexpectedly on the nest and injure the ants. 



The process was so tedious that when we had traced 

 the hole to a depth of some fourteen inches I gave 

 it up. There was no knowing how much further we 

 might not have to dig, and the sun was already 

 becoming most unpleasantly hot. I accordingly had 

 the earth we had dug out shovelled back, and I myself 

 retired to the house. I had the earth shovelled back 



