Ants and Termites. 



or Saiiba Ants, popularly called " Parasol " Ants. These 

 ants^re a great pest to the planters, as they march out 

 of the virgin forest in countless swarms and, entering 

 the plantations, wreak havoc amongst the cultivated 

 trees, from which they will strip every vestige of foliage. 

 I well remember, on my informing my host of my hope 

 that during my short stay an opportunity might present 

 itself for me to see the Saiiba Ants in their native forests, 

 the half-sad, half-whimsical expression that passed over 

 his face as he assured me that on the morrow I should 

 watch them the whole day long if I so desired. " Alas ! 

 Sefior, like the poor, the Saiibas are always with us. 

 You have told us how we may rid ourselves of the 

 malaria-transmitting mosquito ; would to Heaven you 

 could rid us of the Saiiba Ants ! " Later on I found 

 that mine host had indeed good reason to complain of 

 the depredations of these ants, which had denuded a 

 large number of recently planted fruit trees of their 

 foliage. Standing near one of the doomed trees, one 

 became conscious, in the silence of the noontide heat, 

 of a faint, snicking, rustling sound issuing from the 

 tree the sound of the countless worker Saiiba Ants, all 

 busily engaged with their sharp, strong jaws in cutting 

 nearly circular fragments from the leaves. These cir- 

 cular pieces of leaf varied slightly in size, from about 

 the diameter of a threepenny piece to that of a six- 

 pence. As fast as the circles were cut out they were 

 either let fall to the ground, where they were pounced 

 upon and carried off to the nest, or the worker who 

 had cut the piece of leaf off would seize it in her jaws, 

 holding it upright, and at once descend the trunk of 

 the tree and join the ranks of her friends, each carry- 



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