the Sugar Ants . 
349 
their hi (lory appears fcarcely credible; but, on makinS the 
experiment myfelf, I found it literally true. 1 laid fire, as 
above defcribed, where there appeared but a very few ants, and 
in the courfe of a few minutes thoufands were feen crowding 
to it and upon it, till it was perfectly covered by their dead 
bodies. Holes were therefore dug at proper diftances in a cane 
piece, and fire made in each of them. Prodigious quantities 
perifhed in this way ; for thofe fires, when extinguished, ap- 
peared in the Shape of mole hills, from the numbers of their 
dead bodies heaped on them. Neverthelefs they foon appeared 
again as numerous as ever. This may be accounted for, not only 
from their amazing fecundity, but that probably none of the 
breeding ants, or young brood, buffered from the experiment. 
For the fame reafon, the momentary general application of 
fire by burning the cane trafti (or draw of the cane) as it lay 
on the ground, proved as little effectual ; for although, perhaps, 
multitudes of ants might have been deftroyed, yet in general 
they would efcape by retiring to their nefts under cover, and 
out of its reach, and the breeding ants, with their young 
progeny, muff have remained unhurt. 
Mr. Smeathman (who wrote a Paper on the Termites, or 
W hite Ants, of Africa, and was at Grenada at this time) 
imagined, that thefe ants were not the caufe of the injury 
done to the canes. Pie fuppofed, it was owing to the blaft:, a 
difeafe the canes are fubject to, faid to arife from a fpecies of 
fmall flies, generated on their Stems and leaves ; and that the 
ants were attracted in Such multitudes merely to feed on them. 
There is no doubt, that where this blaft exifted it conftituted 
part of the food of the ants : but this theory was overthrown, 
by obferving, that by far the greateft part of the injured 
canes had no appearance of that fort, but became ftckiy and 
withered, 
