CEYLON COCOA ESTATE 121 



valuable scavengers and are of the greatest use 

 in destroying decayed vegetable and animal 

 matter, dead leaves, and branches of trees, 

 rotten fruit, and even dead insects and birds 

 disappear by their agency as if by magic. The 

 work achieved by ants is a constant sermon, on 

 the power of numbers, when united for a given 

 purpose ; and also a reminder of the old Scotch 

 proverb, M Mony a mickle, makes a muckle." 

 We have here numbers of the high ants nests 

 so ably described ; by Professor Drummond in 

 his work on M Tropical Africa." In our part of 

 Ceylon the larger nests that have been deserted 

 by their original builders are often inhabited 

 by cobras, which are held sacred by the coolies, 

 and we see the mouth of the holes sprinkled 

 with ashes of fowls which have been sacrificed 

 in their honour. In connection with ants Rob 

 yesterday observed a curious occurrence : — 

 In passing a tree coated with red clay by the 

 white ants, he knocked it all down thereby de- 

 priving the little creatures of their home. In a 

 few seconds a colony of large red ants, which he 

 had not previously noticed were on the spot. 

 They carried off the white ants bodily Into their 

 own nest, and in a few more seconds not one 

 was to be seen. 



June 20th. — To-day I have been giving an 

 object lesson to our new Dhobie or washerman. 

 We have tried all the Dhobies around, but find 



8 



