The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-02-04

''muchacho The legs of table and ice
box stand in small tin cans partly fillec
with water and oil, and it is only when
one of these receptacles becomes dry
through neglect, or cobweb forms OF
broom straw lodges behind the box
which ants very quickly take advantage
of in forming bridge to the coveted
food supply that serious trouble is ex-
perienced. l have opened the refriger-
ator of morning and found the interior
so black with ants (the large and small
blacks work together congenially) that
the color of food was indistinguishable
Kettles of boiling water quickly destroy
and cleanse the place.
The flying ants present curious spec
tacle to me. Rising from their nests in
the ground where they hatch and awaiting
calm breathless evening, they fill the
air in a vast cloud, all moving in unison
Sometimes we see them passing in the
distance: again our quarters are in the
wake of their flight, and they pour
through doors and windows, beating
against the walls, filling the air until it
is too thick to breathe and thin cover
ing of some kind must be thrown over
the head as protection.
If undisturbed, those who have become
bewildered and fallen rise again and find
their way out with the fiuttering throng,
the passage of which through our house
have known to occupy thirty minutes
time, so some idea can be formed of the
immensely of numbers We found it the
best way to leave everything and walk
until we were outside the flying ant
"belt," or make call on a neighbor
who might be more fortunate, returning
after a short time.
The only reminder of our numerous
visitors presence would be the myriads
of long slender silvery wings covering
everything, to be swept up by the painful
next day; and for several days they
come sitting through the air in whirling
eddies, as the light breeze takes them
from the hooks in the roofs, cutters and
elsewhere. Not being an expert au-
thority on the subject of flying ants in
general, | cannot say as to the final end
of these flights, and what becomes of the
countless little creatures which must fall
when denuded of the wings left with u.s.
None are ever seen next day. In some
parts of these islands the natives catch
the flying ants in large quantities with
nets, drying them and cooking with
soups and other food as highly favored
condiment. l assure you nothing that
creeps, runs, or flies goes to waste as
food with these people. My husband
had his curiosity excited one day in
watching an old native "mujer" sitting
in front of her little ''tienda," Smelling
out the contents of her apron, which she
contentedly munched. On closer inspec-
ton this proved to be dried grasshoppers,
from which she discarded the wings.
Am joking? not at all! Perhaps those
are the same species that John of ancient
fame ate with his honey
On this same island of Luzon-the
largest of the group of 400 islands, -
live the Tagalogs, Illocanos, Bicols, Gag
ayans, and the Igorottes who inhabit the
mountain regions. Tagalogs are the
most prominent numerically. The Igor
cites are called the Head hunters, pre-
serving on stakes in front of their homes
the heads of captured enemies, as did
our Indians show scalps as trophies of
their prowess as warriors. Their favor
tie recreation is the feast, an experience
of which l may speak later on.
You know the Philippine Islands whose
population is 8,OOO,O is composed of
many different tribes of natives, like our
American Indians, with names, customs,
religions and languages of their own, and
as did the Indians many of these tribes
are always warning against their neigh
bors-or did until the restraining influ-
ence and wholesome fear of the military
government lulled such antipathies into
comparative calm.