This volume is a record of Natural History relating to animal life. It is a collection of varied observations and experience made during hours of occasional leisure by the author at a station in the Indian plains. They were gathered at intervals as opportunity offered and have all been gleaned from one small patch of jungle in the secluded district of Fyzabad (UP). The observations relate to the ants spiders and dungrolling beetles. The book contains the following chapters: 1. The Manjha 2. The Indian Black Ant—General Habits 3. The Indian Black Ant—Special Habits 4. The Indian Black Ant—Directive Sense 5. The Evolution of Instinct 6. The ByreBuilding Ants—Herding of Cattle 7. The ByreBuilding Ants—General Habits 8. Architectural Spiders and their Cocoons 9. Experiments and Observations on Architectural Spiders 10. The DomeBuilding Spider 11. The Operation of the Flail 12. The DungBurying Beetles 13. The DungRolling Beetles—General Habits 14. The DungRolling Beetles—Experiments 15. The SouthWest Monsoon. About the Author Richard William George Hingston MC FRGS was an Irish physician explorer and naturalist who worked in India with the Indian Medical Service as a Major. He wrote several books based on his travels and natural history observations.
