292 THROUGH ANGOLA 



any biting Hies existing in his district, answered 

 that they all bit, and if the authorities would but 

 send him a loving pair of non-biting flies, he would 

 strive to encourage their breeding. 



Hives made of cylinders of bark are placed by 

 the natives in trees near every village, and it is 

 wonderful how well the naked African, who 

 collects the honey, protects himself from being 

 stung by such a simple expedient as a wisp of 

 smoking grass. 



Though a keen collector, I saw few butterflies 

 during the trip, and little that had not already been 

 seen or collected in other parts of the West African 

 coast. 



Among fly caterpillars, I came across one thai- 

 made a travelling house like that of the Psyche 

 moth at home, but with far more artistic shape. 



The house of this Angola caterpillar was made 

 of line twigs stuck together longitudinally into a 

 tubular nest, in the middle of which he lived safe 

 from his bird and insect enemies. As the cater- 

 pillar could protrude his head and front legs, he 

 was able to move his house along with a series of 

 jerks, and it was a curious experience to see a little 

 bundle of sticks jerking along without visible 

 motive-power. 



Of disease-producing insects in Angola, by far 

 the most important are the mosquitoes, which 

 arc more numerous in the wet than in the dry 

 season, and in the lowlands than the higher 

 plateaux. 



All of the better-known species arc present : 

 the anophelene, or carrier of malaria, the stegomyin. 



