Smyrna times., 1878-04-17
= White Ants in South Africa,

~ :le Ilhe OF African pests, place the
ternites, or white ants, at the head. South
AlrIc" literally swarms with them. On
oTeIy hahu are TO be seen mounds of earth
constructed oy these insects, conical in
shape and ftom two to six feet in be;obt
Against their ravages both black and W.T."
are Obliged to watch constantly. If a Aoo~
Is not elevated several feet from the oror~d
aHordlng sufficient room for ventilation i
Is almost sure to fall prey to their untir.
ing Voraclty. Walking one day in tho
parlor OF friends house, found mvsoIf
SINKING, and ascertained that the boards of
the noor had been eaten to a thin shall
Hleepers OF round poles, with the barl< ~,
then, are sometimes covered with coal tor
IAN article the ants seem to dislike( bTt |
when taken up they look like pipes tbo
wooa inside OF the bark being entirely |
ueV0ored' In shifting a trunk or box Of
EloIhihg from one place TO another. tho
~ housewife Is often astonished by seeing
that these mlschievous little creatures have
eateh mole through the bottom, and
"oINeu their way to the top, making
mlncemeat of everything. They moka ,,S
distinction between the costl;eSt s;ii'1I ~
the cheapest prints. Should n bao or bar
rel OF corn be left on the ground favv
uays, they are sure to come from some of
tnelr su6terranean hiding places. and frSt
attack the bottom and then work their wav
~ tne Top, not eating the grain, but fasten.
tug the kernals together with earth which
tney have made glutinous, thus snoiI;na
them for use t''ii"e
"hosoever finds a remedy for the raw
ages OF white ants will confer an unsneaL.
aole benefit on South Africa. Strychnine
arsenic, corrosive sublimate, parafn and .
variety va, OF things have been tried in vain
ne red ants are enemies Of the white. and
when they have an opportunity, kill and
aISour tnem wlthout ceremony. Dry .
asnes scattered over the place where they 7
.se az WORK ana IN their various passages. Z
Afford a check to their depredatiops b',3 :, 81
s only temporary. Perseverent;a onn;o ';ant 81
seems to be their motto. To understond II
me ne full significance of Solomon's advice
70 to the ant thou sluggard. . one
mould watch these indefatirable l;ttIo "a
soFkers, and listen, as have done. at the u
, ,ead OF night to the incessant snapping of 81
heir mandibles. Naturalists divide tbaD, 81
nto hve classes, males, females. soldiers al
cutters and workers, the last class heinz &C CO
ne largest. O''''' 0eins fr'
lhe queen of the ant COLONY ia c,r;. an
'ity, Its abdomen being dilated to a size 10
Nceeoing the rest Of the body from one 10 Pr
70 hundred times. She is said to be ono lol
iousand times heavier than the male in. an an
ct' ana lays more than 3l,000,OO0 eggs in 80
year Her cell, or palace we should saw. Tl
situated IN ball Of hard earth. oapor' de
ly hemispherical in shape and neatly DO
astered, with sufficient room for barsais th'
ID the countless little ants her offsnrina wo
It'll they emerge and find homes for them' iaV
ives. The doorway to her maiestv's de.
rtment IS not large enough for her 10 q
ect an egress if she desired it, and she uol
1st remain there fulfilling her oueenIv car
q material functions until death. Soma. Jur
mes two or three queens are found in Una
q cell, and in all cases a small dar;- M Ihe
lored ant of ordinary size, which take III
De the male. The catacomblike passages ,! ,feC
put the queens residence, and thronpb % ,leV
"hole mound, are innumerable, bnt t oot
identity we'll defined. ""' pre-
The Termites are said To be used hv. Art
rlcans, inland, as an article of food in eve
nc OF famine, but this is not the coso gro'
N those on the Southern coast. So hgh
I'D is their increase that ant.eatars VIII
'ugh common and very industrious. fail the
make any apparent elimination Of
IN. ! have noticed on the table.lands G
'ut z9O miles from the Indian Ocean Yea
u ant heapes are larger and higher. but in n
so numerous as on the low lands. On gath
! nights, during the dry season. thew sem
often used in the absence of fuel r. of \
ting of the apex, and making fue to Gou
base, where a little kindling is placed. seve
ignition OF a match will soon furnish a the
'e ali ready for cooking, and a big fire and
ana which, on mats spread on the feeli
nnd, the weary traveller may sleep with delp
NTH and comfort. The ants are Of away
rse destroyed unless they find a safe adell
eat in apartments far below the surface he h
1yler, IN ~ Z. Observer. sions
frat