Note 10 — Chapter III
George Windsor Earl translation
These insects, which abound all over India, are very mischievous, sometimes eating through and destroying a chest and its contents in a single night. To prevent this the chests are usually provided with feet, which are placed in small cups of water, the ants having great dread of this element. On the other hand, these insects do good service by destroying the carcases of dead animals, and thus preventing them from polluting the atmosphere.