PROPOSED NEW METHOD OF DESTRUCTION 65 



Seeing that the fly is such an abnormally slow breeder, 

 and that this method destroys generations yet to come, 

 it does seem possible that it will result in very substantial 

 reduction in the number of flies. Of course a few pupae 

 will continue to be placed in other spots, scattered " loci," 

 but with the reduction in number of flies the number 

 of these would be reduced in far greater proportion, 

 until when there are only very few flies about it seems 

 reasonable to suppose that the number of pupae not 

 deposited in the shelters would be so small that the fly 

 would be exterminated altogether. This would probably 

 take some years, but the decline would be a steady 

 one. 



The method could be made applicable to Glossina 

 morsitans also, only in this case the shelters would need 

 to be placed not near the water, but near some well 

 marked game track ; for morsitans seems to place its 

 pupae naturally near game tracks. 



This chapter on the Tse-tse fly may fittingly be con- 

 cluded with the following verses : 



TO GLOSSINA : A CURSE ! 



Thou dipterovis hexapod (by which I mean 



Thou six-legged creature borne on pinions twain), 



Thou tracheate arthropod, — in short, thou FLY, 



With buzz importunate arousing my 



Just wrath ; may fiends innumerable rend 



Thy quivering form in twain, and, ruthless, send 



Its disunited fragments to the place 



Whex'e bad flies go, whate'er their name or race ! 



May my sanguineous fluid, y'clept blood, . 



Which thou desirest to extract for food. 



Plunging thy sharp proboscis through my skin 



To reach capillaries enshrined within, 



Flow freely till thou burstest ! 



Or, again. 

 Lest this should cause thee insufficient pain, 

 May justice serve to thee another fate 

 That red corpuscles ne'er cqrpusculate 

 In thj- capacious proventriculus, 

 So that, attenuate, ridicvilous, 

 6 



