28» ANTS AND TERMITES 



the attacks of innumerable foes — myrmecophagi, orycteropi, 

 birds, and a whole host of insects — that do man no little 

 service by keeping them within bounds. 



One of their most ferocious enemies is a species of black ant, 

 which, on the principle of setting one thief to catch another, is 

 used by the negroes of Mauritius for their destruction. When 

 they perceive that the covered ways of the termites are ap- 

 proaching a building, they drop a train of syrup as far as the 

 nearest encampment of the hostile army. Some of the black 

 ants, attracted by the smell and taste of their favourite food, 

 follow its traces and soon find out the termite habitations. Im- 

 mediately part of them return to announce the welcome intelli- 

 gence, and after a few hours a black army, in endless columns, is 

 seen to advance against the white-ant stronghold. With irre- 

 sistible fury (for the poor termites are no match for their 

 poisonous sting and mighty mandibles), they rush into the 

 galleries, and only retreat after the extirpation of the colony. 



Mr. Baxter (" Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon ") once saw 

 an army of black ants returning from one of these expeditions. 

 Each little warrior bore a slaughtered termite in his mandibles, 

 rejoicing no doubt in the prospect of a comfortable meal, or a 

 quiet dinner-party at home. Even man is a great consumer of 

 termites, and they are esteemed a delicacy by negroes and 

 Indians, both in the old and in the new world. 



" The Bayeiye chief Palani, visiting us while eating," says 

 Dr. Livingstone, " I gave him a piece of bread and preserved 

 apricots, and as he seemed to relish it much, I asked him if he 

 had any food equal to that in his country. * Ah I ' said he, ' did 

 you ever taste white ants V As I never had, he replied : ' Well, 

 if you had, you never could have desired to eat anything 

 better.' " 



In some parts of the East Indies the natives have an ingenioui 

 way of emptying a termite-hill, by making two holes in it, one 

 to the windward and the other to the leeward, placing at the^ 

 latter opening a pot rubbed with an aromatic herb to receiv^ 

 the insects, when driven out of their nest by a fire of stinking) 

 materials made at the former breach. Thus they catch great 

 quantities, of wliich they make, with flour, a variety of pastry. 

 In South Africa the general way of catching them is to dig into 

 the ant-hill, and when the builders come forth to repair the 



