278 
STRANGE DWELLINGS . 
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alarm should prove to be without foundation, the victory won, 
or danger passed, the arch is quickly renewed, and the main 
column marches forward as before, in all the order of an intel- 
lectual military discipline.’ 
Sometimes, as is usual in tropical countries, the rain descends 
like a flood, converting in a few minutes whole tracts of country 
into a temporary lake. The dwellings of the Driver Ant are 
immediately deluged, and, but for a remarkable instinct which 
is implanted in the insects, most of the Ants, and all the future 
brood, would perish. As soon as the water encroaches upon 
their premises, they run together and agglomerate themselves 
into balls, the weakest (or the ‘women and children/ as the 
natives call them) being in the middle, and the large and power- 
ful insects on the outside. These balls are much lighter than 
w T ater, and consequently float on the surface, until the floods 
retire and the insects can resume their place on dry land. 
The size of the ant-balls is various ; but they are, on an 
average, as large as a full-sized cricket-ball. One of these curi- 
ous balls was cleverly caught in a handkerchief, put in a vessel, 
and sent to Mr. F. Smith, of the British Museum, who has 
kindly presented me with several specimens of the insect. 
When a colony of these insects has been established near a 
house, the inhabitants naturally endeavour to destroy it. The 
habitation is very simple and artless, and generally consists of a 
mere hole in a rock or bank, in which the creatures assemble. 
They are very fond of usurping the sepulchres of the dead, 
which are usually excavated in the sides of hills, and are about 
eighteen inches in depth. 
The natives generally try to destroy the colony by heaping 
dry leaves of the palm upon the dwelling, and setting fire 
to the heap. When this plan was tried, it was found to be 
very unsatisfactory; for the greater mass of the insects contrived 
to make their escape, and were found upon neighbouring trees, 
clinging in heavy bunches and long festoons, which connected 
one branch with another, and formed ladders over which the 
insects could pass. These festoons were made in a very curious 
manner. 
