12 ASSOCIATION OF TSETSE WITH BIG GAME. 



belonging to the Family Limnobidie, species of which have been 



found to be confined to certain damp spots in woods, where 



individuals are always to be met with in smaller or larger 



numbers at the proper season, although none may be found in 



what are apparently equally suitable localities elsewhere. Thus 



the occurrence of Tsetse-flies in " belts " is not difficult of 



explanation, although the alleged fact that animals may be in 



perfect safety on one bank of a stream when bushes on the other 



side are full of the fly is exceedingly hard to understand. 



Although, as already explained in a previous 



Association of Tsetse section, the Tsetse is particularly local in its 

 with Big Game. ,. ., . , . f . , . •' 



distribution, and is only found m warm, moist 



tracts in the neighbourhood of water, where cover occurs in the 

 shape of forest or bush, the only possible conclusion to be drawn 

 from the practically unanimous and very numerous statements 

 on the subject of the connection between the fly and game, 

 which will be found in the Bibliography, is that were it not for 

 the big game, on the blood of which it feeds, the Tsetse would 

 soon cease to exist, at least in numbers sufficient to be formid- 

 able. Mr. Alfred Sharpe, C.B., writing to Lord Lansdowne 

 from Zomba, British Central Africa Protectorate on September 

 30th, 1901, says : " Tsetse-fly would appear to depend upon wild 

 game for their existence, as I have never found Tsetse in any 

 locality where game was totally non-existent " (Chapter VII. 

 Appendix C, p. 295). So far as I am aware the only evidence to 

 the contrary comes from East Africa, where, according to the 

 testimony of various observers, Tsetse would appear to be less 

 intimately connected with game than in the Central and 

 Southern portion of the Continent [127, 151]- Thus Mr. J. W. 

 P. McClellan, writing from Nairobi, East Africa Protectorate, 

 on September 4th, 1901, expresses the opinion that "Tsetse-fly 

 is to be found in certain dark, damp, low-lying localities, irres- 

 pective of big game of any kind " (Chapter VII., Appendix C, 

 p. 294). Again, Mr. F. J. Jackson [127] states that " it is 

 supposed by a good many people that the Tsetse-fly only exists 

 where game beasts, especially buflfaloes, are mosb plentiful, and 



_y that the fly disappears as the game is killed ofi" or driven away. 



This may be so in South Africa, but it is certainly not the case 



; in East Africa, as the belts of fly country in East Africa are 



almost devoid of game, with the exception of the river Tana." 

 Mr. Neumann [151], writing of the Athi River above its 

 junction with the Tsavo, in May 1895, notes the remarkable 



