36 



HoRSTMAN (E.). Tick Eradication Tallcs at New Orleans. — Jl. Amer. 

 Vet. Med. Assoc, Baton Rouge, Xa-Jiv, N.S. vii. no. 2, November 

 1918, pp. 196-199. 



At a conference of the Bureau of Animal Industry employees of 

 liOuisiana engaged in cattle fever-tick eradication, held at New 

 Orleans in Se])teniber 1918, statistics were quoted by Dr. E. P. Flower, 

 of the Louisiana State Live Stock Sanitary Board, showing that tick 

 eradication would mean a grand total increase of profits of £1,706,000 

 from the improved value of cattle due to dipping, and from the increase 

 in stock and milk supply. Against this the cost of the anti-tick 

 crusade is only £199,000,'^ leaving a net profit of £1,507,000. Tick 

 eradication also makes the introduction of blood-stock possible and 

 safe, and is, in fact, one of the most constructive and conservative 

 measures of the day. 



Tsetse Fly in Southern Rhodesia. — British S. Africa Compamj, 

 London, 29th October 1918, 8th November 1918, and 2nd 

 January 1919. [MSS. received from the Colonial Office 8th and 

 22nd November 1918 and 14th January 1919.] 



A further report of the Government Entomologist, supplementary 

 to that already noticed [see this Bcripw, Ser. B, vii, p. 9], defines 

 the Sebungwe and Umniati fly areas, as existing in Jvme-.July 1918. 

 It is noticed that records of extreme abundance of tsetse-fly [Ghssina 

 morsitans] in certain spots, with one exception, coincide vnth localities 

 where game is particularly plentiful. The exception is on the west 

 bank of the Umniati river, where the fly may be associated with 

 the river itself or may be feeding on the troops of baboons that are 

 extraordinarily plentiful there. The fact that game in this neighbour- 

 hood has been checked by professional hunters for the past five or 

 six years A\athout a corresponding reduction in the numbers of tsetse 

 is disappointing, but is not a proof that this method would not succeed 

 elsewhere, the unusual prevalence of baboons being a complicating 

 factor. Evidence as to whether tsetse-flies can feed on these animals 

 is extremely contradictory, and if some means could be devised of 

 getting rid of the baboons in the locality, it would constitute a valuable 

 experiment. 



At a meeting held at the Administrator's office on 21st August 

 the position regarding tsetse-fly in Southern Rhodesia was discussed. 

 It was stated that farmers from the Wankie District had reported 

 that if the fly spread the district would be ruined for settlement, 

 while the colliery working might be seriously hampered. In the 

 Medical Director's opinion the spread of the fly would tend to increase 

 the spread of sleeping-sickness. The suggestions made by the Goyern- 

 ment Entomologist for the control of the tsetse-fly \loc. fit.] were then 

 discussed. With regard to throwing open a guard area to free shooting, 

 it was remarked that while a general opinion jDrevailed that the 

 destruction of game would reduce the fly danger, no definite conclusion 

 had ever been reached on this point. Jt was thought that the best 

 time to undertake destruction of game within a prescribed area would 

 be during the breeding season, as game disturbed at that time usually 

 forsake permanently their old haunts. The suggestions regarding 



