EAST AFRICAN INSECTS. . 1019 



44. Xylocopa torrida Westw., $ . When resting in their 

 holes these beos e/rectu.ally close the opening of the hole with the- 

 dorsal surface of their abdomen pressed closely against it, 

 yet the tip also so placed as to leave the sting operative. As a 

 result I have twice been stung — the first time when leaning 

 against a pole in a hut, and to-day when removing a rubber- 

 tree pole which was infested Avith these carpenter-bees. 

 I inadvertently placed my hand over one of the entrances, and 

 was promptly stung on the tip of the second linger of the left 

 hand. The pain was intense for a quarter of an hour — fully as- 

 bad as that of a scorpion sting. Blue was applied for ten minutes 

 and the pain passed off. By 4 p.m. there was only a stiffness and 

 soreness. The following morning the top section of the fingei* 

 was much swollen, hard and very tender, and so remained for 

 three days. (Kilosa, 17-20. i. 22.) 



45. Melipona braunsi Kohl (Apidaj : Anthophila). This bee, 

 which for my own convenience I have christened "the thirsty 

 bee," was very much in evidence at Lembeni and Dutumi and in 

 certain spots at Morogoio and Kilosa. It settles in crowds upon 

 any exposed surface, such as face and arms, to drink the per- 

 spiration. It causes much annoyance b}' hovering in front of one's 

 eyeballs, and I noticed they congregated on the lower eyelids of 

 tl)e transport mules to dritik their tears during the cam])aign, 

 and caused the animals considerable suffering or at least dis- 

 comfort. I have often brushed them off as one would a fly 

 without ever receiving a sting. (Morogoro, 24. i. 18.) 



46. Apis mellifera adansoni Latr. The East African Wild 

 Honey-Bee is one of the greatest peats in the country. In 

 Nairobi they do not cause much trouble, but in Tanganyika 

 Territory they w-ere a great nuisance during the campaign. 

 The battle of Tanga was a classical instance ; in this fight, firing 

 through the trees annoyed the bees, who attacked and routed 

 both combatants *. 



My first introduction to the aggressiveness of the insect 

 occurred near Moshi when crossing a clear, fiist-flowing stream. 

 With legs crossed on my mule's neck, the water being up to the 

 saddle-flaps, I was almost unseated by the sudden start given by 

 the animal, which ducked her head under watej. The next 

 moment something stung me on the back of the hand which for 

 the moment I imagined to be a tsetse, an insect with which I was 

 xinacquainted at that time and which we had been told to look 

 out for in the vicinity of these riveis. Glancing down, however, 

 I saw it was a wild bee, clouds of which were coming round us, 

 and many of my companions were ali'eady stung. The horses, 

 without requiring any .urging, started splashing and galloping 



* Von Lettow in li is book on this campaiijn states that the bees were fenraf^ed by 

 the firing of his maciiine-gun company, which had to retire no less than the enemjy 

 and that the widespread riunour that a trap had been laid was entircl}' fictitious. ' '' 



