74 



THE INSECT WORLD. 



owner. Awoke by the pain, the beggar was taken to the H6tel- 

 Dieu, where he expired. 



Who would suppose that one of the causes which render the 

 centre of Africa difficult to be explored is a fly not larger than the 

 house-fly? The Tsetse fly (Fig. 53) is of brown colour, with a few 

 transverse yellow stripes across the abdomen, and with wings longer 

 than its body. It is not dangerous to man, to any wild animals, or 

 to the pig, the mule, the ass, or the goat. But it stings mortally the 



Fig- 53- — The Tsetse Fly {Glossina morsitans). 



ox, the horse, the sheep, and the dog, and renders the countries of 

 Central Africa uninhabitable for those valuable animals. It seems 

 to possess very sharp sight. " It darts from the top of a bush as 

 quick as an arrow on the object it wishes to attack," writes a tra 

 veller, M. de Castelnau. 



Mr. Chapman, one of the many travellers who have explored 

 the middle region of Southern Africa, relates that he covered 

 his body with the greatest care to avoid the bites of this nimble 

 enemy ; but if a thorn happened to make a nearly imperceptible 

 hole in his clothing, he often saw the Tsetse, who appeared to know 

 that it could not penetrate the cloth, dart forward and bite him on 



