the body, and tear away large portions of the insect; but if
turned forward, as the ant itself does, they snap off with the greatest
ease. Indeed, they seem formed only to serve the insect in its short
flight to a new habitation, and then to be thrown aside. Nothing can
exceed the eagerness with which, at the proper time, they rush out from
their birth-place. Occasionally this occurs in a house, and then, in
order to prevent every corner from being filled with them, I have seen a
fire placed over the orifice; but they hesitate not even to pass through
the fire. While swarming they appear like snow-flakes floating about
in the air, and dogs, cats, hawks, and almost every bird, may be seen
busily devouring them. The natives, too, profit by the occasion, and
actively collect them for food, they being about half an inch long, as
thick as a crow-quill, and very fat. When roasted they are said to be
good, and somewhat resemble grains of boiled rice. An idea may be
formed of this dish by what once occurred on the banks of the Zouga.
The Bayeiye chief Palani visiting us while eating, I gave him a piece
of bread and preserved apricots; and as he seemed to relish it much, I
asked him if he had any food equal to that in his country. "Ah!" said
he, "did you ever taste white ants?" As I never had, he replied, "Well,
if you had, you never could have desired to eat any thing better." The
general way of catching them is to dig into the ant-hill, and wait
till the builders come forth to repair the damage, then brush them off
quickly into a vessel, as the ant-eater does into his mouth.

The fall of the rain makes all the cattle look fresh and clean, and both
men and women proceed cheerily to their already hoed gardens, and sow
the seed. The large animals in the country leave the spots where they
had been compelled to congregate for the sake of water, and become much
wilder. Occasionally a herd of buffaloes or antelopes smell rain from
afar, and set off in a straight line toward the place. Sometimes they
make mistakes, and are obliged to return to the water they had left.

Very large tracts of country are denuded of old grass during the winter
by means of fire, in order to attract the game to that which there
springs up unmixed with the older crop. This new herbage has a
renovating tendency, for as long as they feed on the dry grass of the
former season they continue in good condition; but no sooner are they
able to indulge their appetite