NOTES ON THE BIONOMICS OF GLOSSINA MORSITANS. ]29 



" In July 1893, the writer's first appearance in these parts, ox transport was left at 

 Oazuma, but fly was found between Leshuma and Kazungula, Chobe and Zambesi 

 junction, and from Kazungula right up the Chobe and right down to within a few 

 miles of the Victoria Falls, fly being particularly aggressive on the latter stretch. 



" In 1894-5 during various trips to what is now the Wankie Colhery all animals 

 had to be left at Deka ; in fact when the writer pegged the present Deka farm in 

 1895 animals were not allowed near its S. E. beacon. 



" During these latter years the southern boundary of the fly area ran roughly from 

 Galobe — Gwaai junction more or less west but north of that open park-Hke country 

 round and to the south of Chumagu Mahshi and Makolo to places near the present 

 Kennedy's Halt, and hunters used to take their ox waggons thus far north. 



" At the end of 1897 the writer took a horse up the Chobe and in 1898 six spans of 

 donkeys to the present Wankie Coal Mine, all fly having disappeared then." 



In answer to direct queries by the Chief Veterinary Surgeon Mr. Giese rephed as 

 foUows under date 30.vii.l918 : — 



1. " What species died of rinderpest 1 



" Eland, buffalo and kudu principally, and in the order mentioned as regards 

 numbers found dead and the occurrence of the species at the time. The greater 

 mortahty among the eland was not due to their being more susceptible to disease but 

 to their occurring in much greater numbers than the other game. This they still do. 

 Of other game reedbuck probably suffered most. 



2. " What was the rate of mortality ; were there any survivors ? 



" In 1898 the only surviving buffalo, between Kazungula and the Gwaai were one 

 bull, 3 cows and 3 calves, running 7 miles west of the present Colhery, and a somewhat 

 similar number on the lower Inyantue ; which means that these were the only buflalo 

 left in Matabeleland west of the Gwaai, because their habitat did coincide with the 

 tsetse-fly. 



" What the number of buffalo was in pre-rinderpest days one cannot say, as they 

 were scattered owing to the natives carrying guns ; but the increase of these 7 animals 

 (survivors) is a fairly compact herd of some seventy animals now confining themselves 

 to a belt of country 20 miles by 30 miles to the west of the railway. The Inyantue 

 herd is a httle larger. 



" There were stray survivors of kudu and they also have more than recovered 

 owing to the absence of firearms ; there are more kudu than any other antelope, 

 Sharpe's steinbuck excepted, in the broken and hilly part of the Wankie District, 



3. " Did the fly disappear at once 1 



" The writer left Deka on 15th January, 1896, when fly were as stated in his notes, 

 arrived in Bulawayo mid-February and was sent for from the C. C's office to give 

 an account of what he knew of rinderpest which was then approaching. When he 

 returned after the Rebelhon in 1897 the fly had disappeared." 



The record is extremely interesting in showing that fluctuations in the distribution 



of fly on a moderately extensive scale have occurred in the past apart apparently 



from overwhelming game destruction, although the hunters appear to have been of 



opinion that the decrease of fly during the period preceding 1888 was due to their 



(687) c2 



