49 



The locust tax, to provide money for the destruction of locusts, is levied, 

 first, upon all tithable pro-luce, 1 per cent, on the value (besides the ordinary 

 tithe) ; secondly, on all houses, shops, and other building*, 1 per 1,000 on 

 the estimated value yearly ; thirdly, on every annuity, pension, or stipend 

 payable out of the public revenue of the island yearly, I per cent, on all 

 incomes amounting to .200; fourthly, on every sheep and goat yearly 1 "> 

 paras. So that everybody on the island has to contribute something to the 

 fund. 



The increased area under cultivation since the settled government of 

 Britain has probably also been a great factor in helping to destroy the locusts, 

 for they are driven on to the barren lands more every season, and are more 

 t-asily dealt with. 



\Vith the Director I went through his collection of the chief insect pests, 

 and found that "Red Scale" (Aspidiotes auranli), so common in Australia, 

 is not only the worst pest on the citrus trees, particularly at Famagusta, 

 where a great many orange trees have been killed by this scale, bat I also 

 found it upon the i'oliae of the wattles, growing round the town. Among 

 the curious insects Mr. Saracomenas showed me were some wingless Mutillidae 

 ( females of an undetermined species). These are known as " Stiangi " to 

 the natives, who are very frightened of them, and say that their sting will 

 bring on ' Stiangi face," a form of blood-poisoning which frequently causes 

 death. These wingless wasps are very common in the summer, crawling 

 about on the ground, and can sting very sharply if touched. I learnt after- 

 wards from one of the medical officers how this idea of the deadly power of 

 this little wasp originated. The natives often sleep upon the freshly -flayed 

 sheep and goat skin*, and as sheep-pock is a very common disease in the 

 flocks, they thus frequently contract this disease, which forms virulent pustules 

 (Stiangi face). The little stinging wasps often crawl on to these skins and 

 sting the sleeper if crushed, so that the severe sting becomes associated with 

 the disease, and all the Cypriots are firmly convinced that the disease is 

 caused by the wasp. 



The Athalassa, Experiment Farm is primarily run for the improvement of 

 the live stoclc on the island, and they have imported Durham and Galloway 

 bulls, but the latter do not thrive. Their Jack donkeys are almost black, 

 and throw very fine stock, the Cyprus mule being a very fine serviceable 

 animal. 



The sheep are large, leggy beasts, with black heads, bare legs, and large 

 drooping ears, and have cnrious fat tails terminating in a corkscrew-like 

 extremity. In most of the native flocks the black ones predominate, and at 

 the farm they rind it very difficult to breed out the black strain. The wool 

 does not average more than 6d. per lb., and is very light and coarse in 

 texture. Sheep are very dear for mutton, and often bring \ per head. 

 There are about 250,000 sheep upon the island, all in little flocks, and about 

 the same number of goats, and most of them run together, herded by the 

 children, as there are no fences any wh"r. 



The Department of Forestry and Mr. T. K. Bovill have done a great deal 

 of work in reclaiming and planting the waste land ; they have had wonderful 

 results in establishing several species of scrubby Australian wattles upon 

 chalk and marl hills on which there is apparently no actual soil. All round 

 the capital, Nicosia, there are belts of Australian gum trees, wattles, and 

 casuarinas, which grow very well. Though it is probable that all the level 

 country of Cyprus was in ancient tinips covered with some sort of tree, the 

 native forests of oak and pine only exist on the mountain slopes now. The 

 question of fuel is a very important one in many parts of the east, and 



