372 



THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



ant, which sometimes swarm into the huts and devour every 

 soldier-ant in them ; an incident of this kind occurred in Living- 

 stone's hut, which he describes as follows : 



"A whole regiment of soldier-ants in rny hut were put into a 

 panic by a detachment of driver-ants, called sirufu. The chungu, 

 or black soldiers, rushed out with their eggs and young, putting 

 them down and running for more. A dozen sirufu pitched on one 

 chungu and killed him. The chungu made new quarters for 

 themselves. When the white ants cast off their colony of winged 



METHOD OF CATCHING ANTS FOR FOOD. 



emigrants, a canopy is erected like an umbrella over the ant-hill. 

 As soon as ants fly against the roof they tumble down in a 

 shower, and their wings instantly become detached from their 

 bodies. They are then helpless, and are swept up in baskets to 

 be fried, when they make a very palatable food." 



The soldier-ants are deadly enemies of the white species, and 

 if it were not so, the latter would overrun the country, as they 

 increase with great rapidity. When on their way to attack tb> 



