24.8 Mr. Castles’s Obfer various on 
although numerous, were circumfcribed and confined to a 
fmall fpot, in proportion to the fpace occupied by the cane 
ants-, as a mole hill to a mountain. 
The common black ants of that country had their nefts 
about the foundation of houfes or old walls; others in hollow 
trees ; and a large fpecies, in the patiures, defcending by a fmall 
aperture under ground. The fugar ants, I believe, univerfally 
conftruded their nefts among the roots of particular plants and 
trees, fuch as the fugar-cane, lime, lemon, and orange trees, 
&c. 
The deftr udion of thefe ants was attempted chiefly two 
ways ; by poifon and the application of fire. 
For the firft purpofe arfenic and corrofive fublimate, mixed 
with animal fu.bftances, fuch as fait fifh, herrings, crabs, and 
other (hell- fifh, &c, were ufed, which was greedily devoured 
by them. Myriads pf them were thus deftroyed ; and the 
more fo, as it was obferved by a magnifying glafs, and indeed 
(though not fo diftindlly) by the naked eye, that corrofive 
fublimate had the effed of rendering them fo outrageous that 
they deftroyed each other ; and that effect was produced even by 
coming into contact with it. But it is clear, and it was found, 
that thefe poifons could not be laid in fufficient quantities over 
fo large a trad of land, as to give the hundred-thoufandth part 
of them a tafte, and confequently they proved inadequate to 
the talk. 
The ufe of fire afforded a greater probability of fuccefs ; for 
(from whatever caufe) it was obferved, that if wood, burnt to 
the ftate of charcoal, without flame, and immediately taken 
from the fire, was laid in their way, they crowded to it in fuch 
amazing numbers as foon to extinguifh it, although with the 
deftrudion of thoufands of them in effecting it. This part of 
their 
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