228 
A MiGHiT Host Of Wandering Ants. 
fellows without breeclies, the Indians, felt the effect of the risky under- 
taking in its full force because the furious insects were able to revenge 
themselves on their naked legs with impunity. I have seldom seen any- 
thing more ridiculous than the gesticulations and antics of the tormented 
Indians when stripping the biting and nipping beasties off their 
naked bodies. 
507. If such a host, coming from no one knows where and going no 
one knows whither, does .seize everything that comes in its way, it never- 
theless has its own enemies, particularly among the birds of the genus 
Myiothern, of which several species accompany it in lai'ge numbers. 
Myiothcra Trtcnin Yieill. and 71/. Cohiut Lath, are nover wanting: but its 
greatest enemy is Pithi/>< Ici(cop.<< Vioill. The lattei' appears and dis- 
appears with these legions, at least. 1 have nevei- met it elsewhere: the 
Indians assured me of the same thing, the nest and eggs being entirely 
unknown to them. While the first mentioned birds follow the procession 
flying on the ground upon which they also devour their booty, the latter 
flies from shrub to shrnb up and down the sides of the marching host, 
makes a swoop into tlie lines, seizes tlie ant. and devours it on the bush. 
However shy the bird may otherwise be, it can be easily shot when 
feeding, but it becomes more difficnlt to pick it out of the moving host 
when shot without getting bitten by hundreds of revengeful insects. The 
small delicate white featheitplunie on its head which can be erected at 
will and the similar-coloured tuft on the throat, give the bird quite an 
interesting appearance. 
508. After we had crossed yet a few more tributaries of the 
Muyang and had passed over a fairly hijrh wooded hill, we reached the 
forest edge, hemmed in l>y bleak mountains which we crossed in an 
easterly direction between qnartz and aranite bonlders. The sandstone 
had also disappeared. The contrast between the landscape that lay 
behind us and the one in front was something truly heartrending. The 
isummits and slopes, yes, even the valleys that we strode through, were 
only covered with low herbage and the rank bushes and streaks of 
forest were conspicuous by their al»sence. and only now and again some ite 
palms raised their proud heads on tlie sides of the streams, or on the 
swampy spots. Everything around was dismal and desert. We 
pitched our night's camp on the banks of the Warungkaiti, the milky 
water of which was shaded by groups of Maui^itia, so as to continue our 
journey eastwards at sunrise. 
509. Xext morning we crossed bleak hills with quartz and granite 
rocks down into the valley of the Haiowe which flowed from the North- 
West into the Davora, a tribntai*y of the Zuruma. The valley again 
became more picturesque not only on account of the isolated copse every- 
where covering the heights, but also owing to the alternation of the 
rough collections of rock, wall-like cliffs and clefts. On the slopes as 
in the valley, a gailk white quartz made its appearance in all directions, 
partly in the form of giant needles, partly as fragments of all sizes, that 
covered the sides and base. After crossing the river and traversing the 
valley in a scrath-easterly direction, the way again led uphill. A beaten 
Indian path on the top indicated the vicinity of the longed-for village. 
