.October i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
291 
never seen the red ant storing anything, but they 
swarm about corrinda bushes during the fruit season 
and often enclose the berries in their leaf cells. 
They do the same with other fruits, and I have 
seen them in atteudauce on aphides. But it would 
be rash to infer from this that they subsist on 
neotar and sweets. A friend of mine, and a valued 
member of this Society, had a tame eagle killed by 
them, and that it was killed for the table admits 
of little doubt. I believe they devour young birds and 
every] other living thing that falls in their way 
aud cannot escape. Considering how few trees on 
the western ghauts are free from them, it seems a 
wonder that birds can find places to build their nests 
From what I have seen I am inclined to think that 
a good many nests are deserted on account of them. 
The red ant appears to be as active by night as by 
day. This is a point in which the various species of 
ants differ very much from ench other. Some never 
come out of their holds at night, while some regularly 
retire for a siesta at noon, and doubtless some are 
wholly nocturnal. But that which distinguishes the red 
ant from all other ants, and indeed from all other 
liviugs, is its temptr. The shepherd in Noctes Ain- 
brosianse says that the w.isp is tue only one of God's 
creatures which is eternally out of temper ; but the 
shepherd did not know the red ant. Nor did I till 
lately. I thought I did, and by painful experience 
too, I had often had reason to notice how they appear 
to have intimation beforehand of your intention to 
pass that way. how they run down every branch 
that stretches across the path, and wait with jaws 
extended, how they fling themselves on you, or drop 
from above, and scorning to waste their strength on 
your hat or clothes, find out the back of your neck, and 
bury their long sickleshaped mandibles in your flesh; but 
I lately discovered that all this was only the A. B. O. of 
their ferocity. One evening I fouu 1 that a countless 
mul'itude of red ants had collected about two trees 
close to my tent, aud were making a thoroughfare of 
one of the ropes. I thought it best to discourage this, 
so I got some kerosine oil, the best antidote I know 
for insect pests of every kind, and, dipping a feather 
into it, began to anoint the rope, thinking in my sim- 
plicity that they would not like to cross the oil and 
would be obliged to find another road. There was 
a perfect storm of indignation. They rushed together 
from both sides, aud threw themselves on the oiled 
feather in the spirit of Meltus Curtius. They died 
of course, but others came on in scores, panting for 
the same glorious death, and I had to give up my 
idea of dislodgiDg them by kerosine. I determined 
then to try tobacco, for I had always supposed that 
mm was the only animal which could endure the 
smell of that weed. I lighted a cheroot, and 
steadily blew the smoke where they were 
thickest. Never in my life have I seen anything 
like the frenzy of passion which followed the first few 
puffs. To be attacked by an enemy of which they 
oould not lay hold seemed to be really too much for 
them. In their rage, they laid hold of each other, 
and as a red ant never lets go, they wore soon linked 
together by head, legs, and antennce into one horrible, 
red, quivering mass. I left these, and, going to 
another place, offered the end of my cheroot, with 
about an inch of ash on it. Several seized it in- 
stantly. The heat killed them, but others laid hold 
of their charred limbs, and by their united strength 
they positively wrenched off the ash, which remained 
hanging from the tent rope, by their ja.vs, while scores 
hurried from both sides, with fiendish fury, to help in 
worrying it. I then presented the hot end. The fore- 
most ant offered battle without a morawt's hesitation, 
nuil perished with a fizz; but anot,h#- an 1 anot er 
followed, and I saw plainly that I was beaten again, 
for the cheroot was going out, while their fury only 
burned the more fiercely. I retired, aud, after taking 
counsel with the captain of my guard, made a torch 
of straw, and pati' ii'lv smoked them to death all 
along the rope. Then I attacked the root of the tree 
where they were thickest, and left nothing but a black 
waste Half an hour later fresh myriads were carryiug 
olf the charrod remains of their comrades. They took 
them up the tree towards their nest, whether for food 
or burial rites I cannot say. It was now getting dark, 
so I gave up my enterprise; but before going to bed 
I brought out a lantern, and found them calmly pass, 
ing up and down my tent ropes as before. I had 
done everything I could short of burning down my 
tent, and they remained masters of the field. It may 
interest members of the Anthropological Society to 
know that the jungle people in the Oanara Distriot 
eat the red ant. They takedown the whole nest, aud, 
pounding ants and iarvie together, make them into 
curry. The blood, or juice, of the red ant is, as might 
be expected, intensely acrid, aud it is said that the 
fumes which rise from them as they are being pounded 
make the eyes of the operator smart, so what the 
Sensation of eating them must be is, scarcely thinkable. 
It must be like a torchlight procession going down 
one's throat. 
The following is from an exchange : — 
According to a recent letter from Mr. Henry M. 
Stanley, the " arrow poison" used with deadly effect 
by the natives of the Lower Congo district is made 
of dried red ants, ground into powder, and cooked in 
pilm oil. The irritant effect of this preparation is 
produced by formic acid, which, in its pure state, is so 
corrosive that it causes blisters ou the skin. 
CEYLON TEA FOR THE RUSSIAN 
MARKET. 
Next to the English there is no nation in Europe 
or indeed in the world who patronize tea, and 
appreciate good tea, so fully as tha Russian. The 
estimates of the consumption of tea in Russia vary 
from 72 to 120 millions of lb. per annum and con- 
sumption is steadily on the increase. The difficulty of 
arriving at an exact estimate is due to the variety of 
ways in which tea enters Russian territory. A great 
deal — indeed, probably, half —of the exports from 
China for Russia are conveyed overhand via Siberia, 
while besides shipments to both Baltic and Black Sea 
ports like Kronstadt and Odessa, there is a further 
quantity sent to Russia through Germany. A few years 
ago it was stated on official authority that Russia 
spent as much as six million pounds sterling for her 
yearly supply of tea. Here then is a field for 
the consumption of a large quantity of our fine 
Ceylon teas which especially deserves to be cultivted. 
But as yet there has been no systematic attempt 
made to gain this market, worthy of the name. 
We are indebted to Sir Graeme Elphinstone for 
personal visits paid to St. Petersburg and Moscow 
and the distribution of samples some years ago ; 
but we do not know that his action has been fol- 
lowed up by any regular business. Now, however, 
we have a much readier means of touching and 
testing the Russian market through the residence 
at this port of a Russian gentleman, Agent for the 
Russian Volunteer Fleet as well as representative 
of his country. It is a matter of surprise that the 
Oeylon Tea Fund Committee have not ere now beep 
in communication with M. Edmond de Friscb on 
the subject. We have ascertained that M. de Fiiseh 
is quite ready to assist the Ceylon Tea Planters 
through there Tea Fund Committee by making 
known the virtues or our leu in Russia and to 
push the same through mercantile agencies in the 
principal markets. M. de Frisch could send on 
any samples placed at his disposal by his Company's 
