184 Duiver Ant. INSECTS. Driver Ant. 
its numbers and bite. Its permanent abode, if it may 
a good way advanced when first observed. Ant after 
be called so, Mr. Savage finds to be a shallow exca- 
ant coming down from above, extending their long 
vation under the roots of trees, shelving rocks, and 
limbs and opening wide their jaws, gradually lengthened 
almost any other substance that will afford a shelter. 
out the living chain till it touched the broad leaf of a 
From these recesses the Driver ants make their sallies 
Canna coccinea below. It now swung to and fro 
in cloudy days, and in the night, chiefly in the latter. 
in the wind ; the terminal ant in the meanwhile endea- 
An exposure to the direct rays of the sun is almost 
vouring to attach it by his jaws and legs to the leaf. 
immediately fatal to them. Should they be detained 
Not succeeding, another ant of the same class (the very 
abroad till late in the morning of a sunny day by the 
largest) was seen to ascend the plant, and fixing his 
quantity of their prey, they construct arches over their 
hind legs, with the apex of his abdomen, firmly to the 
path, of dirt agglutinated by a fluid excreted from their 
leaf under the vibrating column, then reaching foi'th 
mouth. If they can obtain shelter in long grass, they 
his fore legs, and opening wide his jaws, closed in with 
dispense with the arch. When Mr. Savage was residing 
his companion from above, and thus completed the 
near Cape Palmas, he was greatly annoyed by the fre- 
most curious ladder in the world.”* 
quent visits and ravages of these ants. At one time 
Mr. Savage assures us, that whenever a stream of 
they literally drove out every member of the female 
water intercepts their course in their migrations, if it 
department of the school ; at another, the male depart- 
be not very extensive they compass it ; but if not, they 
ment ; then the inmates of his own dwelling. His 
make a line or chain of one another, gradually extend- 
horse, pigs, fowl, and everything that had animal life, 
ing themselves by numbers across, till the opposite 
were attacked by these formidable armies. He says, 
side is reached. Over this living bridge the main body 
“ They always pounced upon us at night, and generally 
passes in safety. During the wet seasons, the Driver 
when our senses were reposing in sleep. Occasionally 
ants are liable to be driven by the continued rains from 
we were apprised of their designs at nightfall by a few 
their haunts. Mr. Savage observes, that “ in such an 
suspicious individuals lurking in the vicinity in advance 
emergency they throw themselves into a rounded 
of the main body, but mostly they took us by surprise. 
mass ; deposit their feebler folk, pupse, and eggs in the 
At last their annoyance seemed to have reached the 
centre ; and thus float upon the water till a place of 
highest point of our forbearance, and a resolution was 
safety is reached, or the flood subsides. Even in situa- 
forthwith taken to discover their habitation, and, if 
tions beyond this overflow, they must be deluged in 
possible, expel them from the vicinity. Accordingly I 
their holes for days, so copious and incessant are the 
commenced cutting over the premises, and had pro- 
rains at times ; and one would suppose that under 
ceeded as far as two-thirds the way down the mount 
such circumstances vast numbers must perish. Some 
on which my dwellings stand, when, beneath a shelving 
undoubtedly do ; but the Lord in this, as in other 
rock of decomposing granite, their haunt was dis- 
orders of the animal kingdom, has pursued a system of 
covered. They had been roused by the efforts of the 
compensation beautifully illustrative of his goodness, 
workmen, and had come forth in incalculable numbers 
and the minuteness of his providential care over even 
for defence, literally blackening the surrounding grass 
the meanest of his creatures. As he has endowed this 
and shrubbery. Lines of ants, going and coming 
insect with a high degree of life, so he has given to it a 
agreeably to the rules of their order, were running in 
corresponding degree of tenacity, thus enabling it to exist 
opposite directions. Their paths were very distinct 
under the many unfavourable circumstances incident 
and well trodden, of about an inch in width. . . , 
to its habits. Feeling assured that such was the fact, 
Their numbers could not be computed; millions on 
I commenced a series of experiments in proof of the 
millions seemed to be there, besides thousands that 
point. An individual of the largest class was sub- 
were going and coming with astonishing speed and 
merged to the bottom of a glass of water, where it 
alacrity. In attempting their destruction, I adopted 
struggled for about three-fourths of an hour, then 
the mode of the natives, which is to ignite on the spot 
apparently expired. It revived in about ten minutes 
a collection of the dried leaves of a species of Corypha 
after it was taken out, exhibiting about as much vita- 
(fan palm of this coast) about six feet in diameter, and 
lity and ferocity as before.” Mr. Savage submerged 
dried grass, with other combustible matter. A fire of 
it three times, keeping it under water at one time for 
great intensity was thus kindled, which continued to 
six hours, and yet it revived. He gives other instances 
burn for a considerable time. This, I supposed, would 
of their tenacity of life. 
be the last of our troublesome neighbours. Two days 
Mr. Savage mentions an instance of the ants killing 
after, however, on going to the spot for the purpose of 
a snake four feet long. They seem to have first blinded 
examining into their domicile, I was surprised to see a 
it — at least so the American missionary judged by its 
tree at a short distance, about eighteen inches in dia- 
motions. He tells that the entrance of the driven 
meter, to the height of four feet from the ground, with 
into a house is soon known by the simultaneous and 
the adjacent plants and earth, perfectly black with them. 
universal movement of rats, mice, lizards, Blapsidm, 
From the lower limbs (four feet high) were festoons or 
Blattidce, and the numerous vermin that infest their 
lines of the size of a man’s thumb reaching to the 
dwellings. He says that “ when they are fairly in, we 
plants and ground below, consisting entirely of these 
give up the house, and try to await with patience their 
insects; others were ascending and descending upon 
pleasure; thankful, indeed, if permitted to remain within 
them, thus holding free and ready communication with 
the narrow limits of our beds and chairs.” To prevent 
the lower and upper portions of this dense mass. One 
their ascending the beds, the feet are placed into a 
of these festoons I saw in the act of formation. It was 
* Trans. Ent. Soc., vol. v., p. 7. 

