288 THROUGH ANGOLA 



the suicide fly is the worst. If one stands for a 

 moment in the shade, he hovers round your face 

 in scores, crawling up your nose, into your eyes, 

 up your ears, and all over your face. His object 

 seems to be moisture or a home, and the need must 

 be very great ; because no fear of death deters 

 him, and his persistence being profound and his 

 powers of flight very small, he dies easily, leaving 

 one with an ever-shortening temper and a curious 

 aromatic smell from his crushed body. 



When one tried to take aim after perhaps a 

 long, hot, and painful stalk, the suicide fly, by 

 crawling up the eyes and nose, would almost 

 prevent one from firing and often cause one to 

 miss. Rest or sleep was only possible with one's 

 face under the hot and suffocating shelter of a 

 handkerchief, for otherwise eyes, throat, and 

 nostrils would rapidly be invaded and rest become 

 impossible. 



There were some large flies and wasps in Angola, 

 looked on as friends, because they left one alone ; 

 and among them were the beautiful dragon-flies, 

 which usually live near water. I always cheered 

 these dragon-flies on their way, wishing them good 

 hunting- especially of the suicide flies. 



There were the mantis insects (Mantidae), with 

 curious -looking heads and big eyes, and their 

 great arms with toothed edges. I am an admirer 

 of the mantis, because it is a good hunter, patient 

 but sure in its stalk ; and a friend, because it lives 

 largely on insect pests. 



When in Sierra Leone before the war, I had a 

 mantis which almost answered to the name of 



