820 SUNDRY INSECTS 



on account of the great abundance of giant Millipedes 

 (" E'gongolo "). These fine creatures, with cylindrical 

 bodies some six to eight inches long, as thick as one's 

 finger, clothed in rings of polished black armour with 

 reddish legs, are really extremely handsome. They may 

 often be seen on the sandy beach feeding on decaying 

 rubbish cast up by the waves, and are especially notice- 

 able when rain is coming. They were not met with on 

 certain of the smaller islets, which were yet of suflBcient 

 size to be expected to support them. 



I think that they are occasionally devoured by the 

 Enswa-swa, for rings of their armour may be seen in dried 

 excrement believed to be of that reptile. But I am 

 quite unaware what are the main checks on the increase 

 of these millipedes ; possibly the greatest loss is caused 

 by enemies that devour the eggs, or parasites of the eggs. 

 It is a curious fact that I cannot remember having seen 

 a specimen less than half grown. 



Crustacea. 



Small crabs are one of the factors of the lacustrine 

 fauna which suggest the sea, and they are abundant in 

 shallow water. Superficially they much resemble crabs 

 of a couple of inches in diameter that one finds in 

 seaside pools. The natives call them " Enjaba.^' One 

 was found under a stone among damp debris about 

 twenty yards away from the water, a young and lively 

 specimen. 



Crayfish were never met with, but shrimps, looking 

 much like the common marine species, abounded in 

 shallow weed grown waters. 



The natives call them " Obuduli," and use them as 

 bait for fish, but I do not think they eat them. 



Fish lice, of two species, were met with on the " Mamba " 

 and " Mal§ " fish already described, and specimens sent 



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