SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 



stalking them. By keeping behind a low hill, 

 we got close to them, but failed to bring one 

 down. Further on we saw a few more, but 

 could not get a shot at them, as they were out 

 on the fiat plain. The country through which 

 we were now passing consisted of wide, perfectly 

 fiat plains bounded by low, grass-covered hills. 

 Here and there were the usual lagoons so typical 

 of this country. The water in these is often brack- 

 ish and always muddy, owing to the fact that 

 the camels, horses and cows wade into it during 

 the noonday heat to escape the cruel flies with 

 which the country swarms. 



Indeed, so numerous and annoying were the 

 flies, that our ponies were driven to the verge of 

 madness. These winged pests ranged from the 

 size of midges to that of large wasps, and all bit 

 and stung. There was one kind with a long hooked 

 tail that had a predilection for settling upon the 

 noses of our ponies. So much did the poor animals 

 dread this variety (doubtless a species of Warble 

 fly), that they would go frantic if one were hover- 

 ing round, flinging themselves upon their knees 

 and rubbing their noses in the sand or grass. At 

 nights, when the ponies were turned loose to graze, 

 the smaller varieties of flies would settle in swarms 

 upon them, so that one could sweep them up in 

 handfuls of juicy pulp. At nights, too, the flies 

 were replaced by cruel stabbing mosquitoes, 

 especially if we camped near marshy ground. 



144 



