101 



spoken of as a f^^rcat source of annoyance. They can be dialoclf^cd 

 by use of tobacco water infusions (Oliphant) ; or tlio came) 

 should be allowed to roll in ashes of a brick kiln or potUny 

 work and dressed with iiv.iline and tobacco water, of each 

 20 tolas, with red pepper 10 tolas, powdered and mixed in a gurra 

 of water, lieated and well rubbed in. llepeat daily for three 

 days (Leach). An enormous aracliuidan, described even by 

 Cobbold as '' most horrible," is often seen on camels and may 

 assist in producing loss of condition and debility. E^e is a legiti- 

 mate object of shikar by the men in charge and when caught 

 should meet the fate of all vermin. " Snipe " tells us that "In 

 Persia the bite of the camel tick (Galcodes araneoides) is said 

 to cause intense suffering to huiuan beings, even producing irri- 

 tative fever." 



The temjwrnri/ 'parasitic ectozoa of the camel are interesting. 

 Byrne writes of blotches as supposed to be due to the bite of a 

 poisonous ily and that thcj may be treated by giving internally 

 olive oil mixed with tobacco. Colonel Colborn ( " With Hicks 

 Pasha in the Soudan " ) mentions the Seroot fly, which was first 

 seen between A.bu zed and Ghebel aiu (its northern limit). Ho 

 considers it as probably not the Tsetze fly, for it attacks men. 

 Horses and even camels are driven simply mad when these flies 

 are found in large numbers. Sir Samuel Baker mentions them 

 as occurring on the Abbara river during the rains. Lombardini 

 refers to tlie Debah jiy as it is termed in Algeria. Carbaccia 

 considers this to be the Tabanus bovinus or gad fly of the Ox, 

 which prevails from the beginning of June near water. So serious 

 are its effects that the Arabs are accustomed at this time of year 

 to march their camels southwards into the desert, far from staor- 

 nant water and thick undergrowth of marsh plants. In Canton- 

 ments the camels are crowded together as much as possible and 

 the outer ones only suffer ; and on the march the camols are 

 halted by eight in the morning, camped as close together as 

 possible, and then surrounded with a fire of straw and damp 

 brushwood. Tar dressing suffices to keep off the fly for a few 

 days (Carbuccia), the Dcbab fly bites also horses and mules. 

 Camels attacked become iu_a short time literally covered with tho 



II. 



