406 The Probable Danger from White Ants. _ [July, 
tenanted by them. ‘Two years later I was presented by the late 
B. Walsh, in Rock Island, with a copy of the state papers of 
Illinois, which were destroyed by white ants. All the spare — 
copies were stored in a closed room, and not looked after for 
some time; when the room was opened all were found in the 
' same condition. I can never look upon the volume without being 
puzzled by the remarkable fact that the queer little rogues 
failed to attack the name of Vandalia on the top of the pages. 
Several years later a Boston lady, a teacher in one of the freed- 
men’s schools in South Carolina, who had gone away for a vaca- 
tion of six weeks, found, on returning, the whole library destroyed, 
Bibles and prayer-books. The copies kindly forwarded to me 
were less damaged, and therefore retained. 
Here, around Boston, old fences are the favorite dwelling of 
the white ants. The old fence around the Observatory in Cam- 
bridge was the easiest place to collect them. The fence was 
replaced last fall by a new one. In the report the expense was 
marked down as a large one. If we consider the danger to the 
library and the records of the Observatory, which, once destroyed, 
never could be replaced, we shall agree that the expense is a real 
benefit. In the Botanical Garden, white ants are equally numer- 
ous. A few years ago I had the opportunity of seeing white 
ants swarm in clouds in the Botanical Garden. A whole army 
ascended the steps to the herbarium. I was frightened by the 
possible danger to this treasure. But the answer that all the 
plants in the herbarium were poisoned tarned directly my com- 
passion to the side of the little strolling wanderers. Neverthe- 
less, the costly library of the Botanical Garden is certainly not 
poisoned, and doubtless somewhat in danger. I tried to find the 
centre for the large distribution of white ants around the Observ- 
atory and the Botanical Garden; and I believe I am right m Te 
garding it as existing in a very old estate just opposite to the 
Botanical Garden. Near Spy Pond I had for several years 4 g 
collecting place for white ants in a venerable giant of pine, dead 
perhaps for many years, but removed the last winter; 1 the 
many old stumps around it, however, the nest was not discovered. 
Near Winchester, on Mystic Pond, the fish commission has 
built a remarkable fishway for alewives, near a sluice. a 
years ago I examined the posts and stumps around it, and foun 
them infested with white ants. Till now they have done n° 
damage. Ihave no positive information that mill-dams are dam- 
aged by white ants, but I cannot help believing that at | 
