FLY NOT DEPENDENT ON BUFFALO ALONE. 295 



The Residency, Zomba, 



British Central Africa Protectorate, 



30th September, 1901. 



Commissioner Sharpe, C.B., to His Majesty's Principal 

 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. 



My Lord, — ^With reference to your Lordship's despatches 

 Nos. 141 and 155, enclosing copies of correspondence on the 

 subject of the connection between the existence of Tsetse-fly and 

 the preservation of Buffalo, I have the honour to append a few- 

 notes which give my own experience during the past fourteen 

 years in Africa on this subject. 



1. 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. 



2. Tsetse does not in any way appear to be specially dependent 

 upon Buftalo. On the plains at the north end of Nyasa, before 

 rinderpest made its appearance, there were vast herds of Bufialo, 

 but no Tsetse. The natives at the north end at that time owned 

 large quantities of cattle, which could be seen grazing in close 

 proximity to Buftalo. When rinderpest came it killed practically 

 all the cattle and all the Buffalo. In other districts of British 

 Central Africa Tsetse are' found in large quantities where Buffalo, 

 at the present day at any rate, do not exist. 



3. Tsetse are not fottnd (in British Central Africa) in open 

 plains, although such plains may have lai'ge quantities of game on 

 them, and in spite of the fact that at the edges of the plains, where 

 forest abounds. Tsetse are found. It would appear therefore that 

 what regulates the presence of Tsetse-fly is the description of the 

 country, almost as much as the abundance or scarcity of game. 



I have, etc., 



(Signed) Alfred Sharpe, 

 His Majesty's Commissioner and Consul General. 



Entebbe, Uganda, 



21th September, 1901. 



Deputy Commissioner Jackson, C.B., to The Marquess of 

 Lansdowne, K.G., etc., etc. 



My Lord, — I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt 

 of your Lordship's despatch No. 190 of July 20th, with enclosures 

 regarding the question of the existence of the Tsetse-fly in 

 connection with the preservation of the Buffalo, and in reply to 

 submit the following remarks, in so far as my own experience 

 has taught me, on this vexed question. 



