2GO ZOOLOGY. [PART II. 



them surrounding a maimed beetle, or a bruised cock- 

 roach, and hurrying it along in spite of its struggles. I 

 have, on more than one occasion, seen a contest between 

 them and one of the viscous ophidians, Ccecilia glutinosa 1 , 

 a reptile resembling an enormous earthworm, common in 

 the Kandyan hills, of an inch in diameter, and nearly two 

 feet in length. It would seem on these occasions as if the 

 whole community had been summoned and turned out 

 for such a prodigious effort ; they surrounded their victim 

 literally in tens of thousands, inflicting wounds on all 

 parts, and forcing it along towards their nest in spite 

 of resistance. In one instance to which I was a wit- 

 ness, the conflict lasted for the latter part of a day, 

 but towards evening the Ccecilia was completely ex- 

 hausted, and in the morning it had totaUy disappeared, 

 having been carried away either whole or piecemeal by 

 its assailants. 



The species I here allude to, is a very small ant, 

 called the Koombiya in Ceylon. There is a still 

 more minute description, which frequents the caraffes 

 and toilet vessels, and is evidently a distinct species. 

 A third, probably the Formica nidificans of Jerdan, is 

 black, of the same size as that last mentioned, and, 

 from its colour, called the Kalu koombiya by the 

 natives. In the houses its propensities and habits are 

 the same as those of the others; but I have observed 

 that it frequents the trees more profusely, forming small 

 paper cells for its young, like miniature wasps' nests, in 

 which it deposits its eggs, suspending them from the leaf 

 of a plant. 



The most formidable of all is the great red ant or 

 Dimiya. 2 It is particularly abundant in gardens, and 

 on fruit trees ; it constructs its dwellings by glueing 

 the leaves of such species as are suitable from their 

 shape and pliancy into hollow balls, and these it lines 

 with a kind of transparent paper, like that manufac- 



See anta, Pt. I. ch. iii. p. 201. 2 Formica smaraydina, Fab. 



