line again. It is curious to observe their tactics in attacking larger animals, a rat for instance. A single ant attaches itself to it: the poor creature naturally stops to rid itself of the paltry aggressor, but this delay enables others to join in the attack: for a few minutes a desperate combat is waged, and many an ant, persistently retaining its grasp on the flanks of the victim, is parted asunder by the effort to detach it. Overcome chiefly by fatigue from its own vigorous exertions, the rat at length passively resigns itself to the voracity of its assailants, making now and then only a convulsive effort indicative of the extreme torture to which it is subjected. An effectual way of ridding an apartment of them is to fill the mouth with salt, and when it is moistened with saliva, to blow it over them. They then hasten away with great precipitation. It is not the salt, but the saliva, I think, which is offensive to them, for once at Ijaye, unable to procure salt, I took water into my mouth, and after it was well mixed with the secretion I blew it out at them with the same effect as if salt was used.
It is obvious that while these curious creatures are occasionally the cause of some inconvenience, they are also the instrument of much good, in destroying vermin, which in such a climate might otherwise become
