37 



deforestation of a guard area, deforestation and fencing, destruction 

 of winter haunts such as evergreen trees near water, and the use of 

 poison gas, were all rejected on the grounds of expense. 



It was eventually decided to take steps for the destruction of game 

 within a prescribed area in the southern part of the Wankie District. 

 A scheme was subsequently drawn up, defining the tsetse eradication 

 area, within the limits of which antelopes and other mammals should 

 be removed as thoroughly and rapidly as possible by a series of hunts 

 or battues and the cleared area maintained free of such animals as 

 far as possible by patrols for a sufficiently long period to test the eflect 

 on the fly. If results Avithin the area treated warrant a continuance 

 of this method, operations would probably be extended to another 

 area. 1'he details of the scheme are outlined and the cost of labour 

 and materials estimated. As an experiment in the destruction of 

 haunts of the tsetse-fly, an isolated patch of bush has been selected. 

 It is proposed, after a preliminary inspection to determine the degree 

 of tsetse infestation of this area, to effect the complete removal of all 

 evergreen or deciduous heavy-folia ged trees by felling, coupled with 

 burning of the grass. Such clearing is to be repeated in subsequent 

 seasons, with periodical inspection by the entomologist to note results. 



A recently published report of a committee appointed by the Natal 

 Province records a very great spread of disease in Zululand owing to 

 tsetse-fly. In some localities natives have not been able to keep 

 cattle for several years, and others have sustained heavy losses in 

 their stock. Occupation of the affected areas remains very sf)arse and 

 the opening up of Crown Lands reserved for purposes of settlement 

 is rendered impossible so long as the several species of game that are 

 known to be carriers are allowed to overrun the lands in cjuestion. 

 Whatever arguments may be brought forward with a view to dis- 

 associating trypanosomiasis from game, it is considered that actual 

 demonstration in Zululand has clearly proved that once the reservoir 

 of infection in the shape of certain species of game is removed from a 

 locality, losses from trypanosomiasis cease foi"th\vith. In the opinion 

 of the committee it is imperative in the interests of a closer settlement 

 of Zululand by both Europeans and natives that all game known to 

 act or suspected of acting as carriers of trypanosomiasis should be 

 strictly confined within the limits of their reserve. 



Burnett (J. E). Methods of Combating Flies. — Qirly. Bull. Michigan 

 Agric. Coll. Expt. Sta., East Lansing, i, no. 1, August 1918, 

 pp. 18-19. [Received 12th December 1918.] 



The most effective means of poisoning house-flies is to fill soup 

 plates up to the rim with a mixture of 1 part commercial formalin 

 and 19 parts water sweetened with syrup. A good repellent that 

 should be sprayed on cows with a hand-sprayer just before milking 

 time is composed of :— 12 oz. crude carbolic acid, 12 oz. turpentine, 

 12 oz. tar-oil, f oz. tannin, made up to 5 U.S. gals, with kerosene oil. 



A suitable trap may be made of a barrel from which both ends have 

 been removed. One end is covered with wire netting, and in the other 

 is fixed a funnel made of wire screen, the opening at the point, j to | 

 inches across, being in the interior of the barrel. This trap is baited 

 with sugar, decayed fruit, etc., and placed on legs 3 inches long. 



