486 TROPICAL WILD LIFE IN BRITISH GUIANA 



monas of the Upper Potaro. Pata — place ; mona — the ant's 

 nest. 



No one can know the district without knowing the ka- 

 bouri fly. We encountered it just above Rewa Mouth. It 

 has been said that this pest is not to be found more than a 

 hundred yards away from water. We foimd it troublesome 

 in our house, half a mile in a straight line from the water, 

 and we have found it farther afield. It is a blood-sucker, 

 which marks one as with fine pocks. Besides this fly, we had 

 an angular, or greenish-black blood-sucker, which skulked, 

 under the chairs and tables and attacked one's legs and 

 ankles. My wife has a lump resulting from a bite received 

 over a year ago. I sent a specimen to Mr. Rodway, who 

 identifies it as Lcpisclaga cerripes. It is plentifid at Rewa 

 Mouth, amongst other places. The Indians say it dwells in 

 holes in trees and tacoubas. A large, green and amber fly 

 annoyed the cattle and horses a great deal, after the heavy 

 rains, in 1915. Those animals which ventured down the hill 

 to the savannahs would come racing in with swarms of these 

 flies, and the common cow-flies, buzzing about them and 

 sucking them. These flies woidd seem to lay their eggs in 

 the sandy banks of the river, close to the roots of the trees 

 and shrubs. I saw myriads of them, as they buzzed about 

 the bank, or settled and scratched the sand. This was in 

 October. Mr. Davis has described a fly which occasionally 

 attacks his cattle. It would seem to be rare. When an ani- 

 mal is attacked, it is seized with terror, and dashes to the 

 nearest stream, with its tail erect and head askew. I have 

 not seen the fly, which, if not previously listed, might be 

 called Christie's Fly. Swarms of tiny flies cover the savan- 

 nahs. They buzz irritatingly in one's ear, unlike the ka- 

 bourie, which makes no noise. I am told that there are two 

 species of kabourie; Siniulimn guiancuse, and Simiiliuin 

 amazonicum. I seem to have noticed two species on the 

 Rapo-mmni, the second (if there be no mistake) , could hard- 

 Iv be the amazonicu7n. 



