THE RAINS 93 



lest rain should fall, in which case, had the hole remained 

 open, the nest would have been flooded. 



In the afternoon just before sunset I visited the nest 

 again. I wished to see if the ants had managed to 

 open a passage through the earth that had been filled 

 in. I felt a little remorseful lest by my proceedings 

 in the morning I should have condemned them to a 

 night's imprisonment, and thus prevented them from 

 making their usual afternoon's foraging expeditions. 

 On reaching the nest I was pleased to find that my 



I jars were groundless. The ants had not only opened 

 ne passage through the fiUed-in earth, but they had 

 pened no less than four, and not only opened these 

 >ur passages, but also had used them. When I arrived 

 the ants had just returned from foraging or wandering 

 over the trees, and the rear guard were engaged in 

 closing the entrance holes with the usual pellets. 



It was the morning after this that I witnessed 

 accidentally another burrowing operation. But the 

 burrower in this case was an animal of quite another 

 description and species. 



I was strolling along a raised path of the garden. 

 At one place as I passed I noticed a little stream of 

 sandy earth rolling down the steep, slanting side of the 

 path. I stopped to look. Almost immediately another 

 small stream of earth rolled down, following the first. 

 I looked closer, and perceived that the earth came from 

 a small, round hole not many inches below the top of 

 the side. I then recognized that some little animal was 

 excavating a burrow, and was now engaged in pushing 

 out through the hole the earth he had dug. I remained 



