THE RAINS 105 



in the recesses of one wall a colony of white ants had 

 established a nest. It was evening ; I was commencing 

 dinner. I heard behind me a buzzing sound ; I turned, 

 and from a hole near the bottom of the wall I beheld 

 a fountain of young white ants ascending. They 

 reached the ceiling, and then the descent commenced. 

 They alighted by thousands on the table, and there 

 shook off their wings. In a few minutes the cloth, 

 the plates, the glasses, even the lamp-shades, were 

 covered with the little white, feeble crawling creatures. 

 The fountain of ants continued to play for at least 

 ten minutes. When next morning the floor was swept, 

 the wings that the ants had shaken off filled a large 

 basket. What became of the ants themselves I cannot 

 say. 



