ud 



NOTES ON THE HABITS OF GLOSSINA FUSCA, 



By J. B. DAVE Y, M.B. (Lond.), D.T.M. (Liverpool), 

 Medical Officer, Nyasaland Administration. 



Much attention has recently been devoted to the habits of Glossina palpalis^ 

 but G. fiisca, which I have had the opportunity of observing and collecting 

 in several localities in Nyasaland, has received little notice ; the latter has 

 long been known to be most active in the evening, but further points in its 

 habits have come to mj notice, and they appear to be worth recording. 



Localities in Nyasaland loliere G. fusca occurs. 



There are two places in Nyasaland where, for some years, G. fusca has 

 been known to occur, viz. (1) near Masinjiri's village, in the Elephant 

 Marsh, near the Lower Shire River : they were, I believe, first found here 

 by Major Pearce, Acting Governor of Nyasaland ; (2) at Kaporo, near the 

 north end of Lake Nyasa, where Dr. J. E. S. Old discovered them. Some 

 years ago Mr. Crawshay reported them from near the South Rukuru River, 

 but attempts to find them there recently have not been successful. One 

 or two specimens are also said to have been captured near Monkey Bay. 

 Recently, in travelling down Lake Nyasa by boat, I encountered G, fusca 

 at five places in the Marimba and Central Augoniland districts near the- 

 lake shore. 



Numerical Distribution. 



At Masinjiri's and Kaporo I have found the flies numerous on all of 

 several visits, and there was little difficulty in collecting a score or more in 

 an evening. In the Marimba and Central Angoniland districts, five (three 

 males, two females) was the maximum number found at any one place, 

 although several hours were spent in searching for them in some instances. 



G. fusca would appear then to occur under two conditions : firstly, in 

 considerable numbers over a limited area — they do not seem to extend over 

 wide tracts of country as does G. morsitans ; they may be found evening- 

 after evening occupying almost precisely the same stretch of road or path, 

 as at Masinjiri's and Kaporo, where they occur along about a thousand yards 

 of path. Secondly, in very small numbers, as in the localities near the 

 Marimba and Central Angoniland shores of the lake. It should, however, 

 be observed that Masinjiri's and Kaporo were visited in the dry, the other 

 places in the wet, season. 



BULL. EKT. RES. VOL. I. PART II. JULY I9IO. 



