﻿THE 
  KELATIONS 
  OF 
  GLOSSINA 
  MORSITANS 
  AND 
  GAME. 
  13 
  

  

  (5) 
  That 
  the 
  theory 
  regarding 
  buffalo 
  as 
  essential 
  to 
  the 
  subsistence 
  of 
  the 
  fly 
  

   is 
  untenable. 
  It 
  is 
  possible 
  that 
  the 
  fly 
  of 
  an 
  area 
  where 
  buffalo 
  are 
  very 
  numerous 
  

   may 
  resort 
  to 
  this 
  species 
  as 
  its 
  chief 
  food 
  supply. 
  This 
  would, 
  however, 
  apply 
  

   equally 
  to 
  whichever 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  ungulates 
  predominated, 
  and 
  probably 
  depends 
  

   on 
  the 
  ease 
  with 
  which 
  these 
  big 
  animals 
  are 
  accessible 
  to 
  the 
  fly, 
  especially 
  at 
  the 
  

   season 
  when 
  the 
  grass 
  is 
  high. 
  The 
  arrival 
  of 
  the 
  rinderpest 
  at 
  this 
  season 
  would 
  

   enhance 
  its 
  effect 
  on 
  the 
  fly 
  through 
  its 
  food 
  supply. 
  

  

  (6) 
  That 
  much 
  of 
  our 
  information 
  regarding 
  the 
  relations 
  of 
  game 
  and 
  tsetse 
  

   is 
  based 
  on 
  superficial 
  observations 
  by 
  untrained 
  observers 
  on 
  isolated 
  occasions. 
  

   In 
  such 
  circumstances 
  the 
  persistence 
  of 
  small 
  isolated 
  foci 
  may 
  easily 
  be 
  

   overlooked. 
  

  

  Description 
  of 
  the 
  Masindi 
  Fly 
  Country. 
  

  

  The 
  Masindi 
  fly 
  area 
  comprises 
  an 
  extent 
  of 
  bush 
  country 
  in 
  which 
  tsetse 
  has 
  

   always 
  been 
  fairly 
  numerous 
  and 
  evenly 
  distributed 
  in 
  the 
  wet 
  season. 
  In 
  the 
  dry 
  

   season, 
  after 
  the 
  annual 
  grass 
  fires, 
  a 
  diminution 
  in 
  number 
  has 
  been 
  noticed 
  both 
  by 
  

   Fiske 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  native 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  the 
  belt. 
  During 
  this 
  dry 
  season 
  Fiske 
  says 
  that 
  

   the 
  fly 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  concentrate 
  in 
  certain 
  localities, 
  which 
  show 
  special 
  characteristics 
  

   and 
  resemble 
  Shircore's 
  " 
  primary 
  centres 
  " 
  (12). 
  Game 
  is 
  fairly 
  plentiful 
  throughout 
  

   the 
  fly 
  belt. 
  The 
  main 
  motor 
  road 
  from 
  Masindi 
  Port 
  to 
  Butiaba 
  traverses 
  the 
  belt, 
  

   which 
  towards 
  the 
  River 
  Kafu 
  is 
  limited 
  by 
  open 
  plains 
  swarming 
  with 
  kob 
  and 
  

   reedbuck. 
  A 
  few 
  small 
  villages 
  are 
  scattered 
  about 
  here 
  and 
  there. 
  The 
  fly 
  scrub 
  

   itself 
  consists 
  of 
  scattered 
  small 
  trees 
  and 
  bushes 
  rising 
  above 
  the 
  coarse 
  grass, 
  which 
  

   grows 
  in 
  tufts 
  and, 
  in 
  July 
  and 
  August, 
  reaches 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  6 
  or 
  7 
  feet. 
  Long 
  low 
  

   ridges 
  are 
  separated 
  by 
  valleys 
  of 
  varying 
  extent, 
  sometimes 
  narrow 
  and 
  thickly 
  

   covered 
  with 
  bush, 
  sometimes 
  wider 
  with 
  thinner 
  bush 
  or 
  open 
  stretches 
  of 
  shorter 
  

   grass. 
  In 
  the 
  rainy 
  season 
  these 
  valleys 
  hold 
  swamps. 
  In 
  the 
  dry 
  season 
  there 
  

   are 
  two 
  types 
  of 
  waterhole 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  belt 
  :— 
  

  

  (1) 
  Muddy 
  depressions 
  or 
  holes 
  containing 
  filthy 
  water 
  and 
  pitted 
  with 
  game 
  tracks. 
  

   These 
  holes 
  are 
  occasionally 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  ridges, 
  but 
  more 
  generally 
  lie 
  along 
  the 
  

   bottoms 
  of 
  the 
  valleys. 
  This 
  type 
  of 
  waterhole 
  dries 
  up 
  slowly, 
  and 
  the 
  gaping 
  

   cracks 
  in 
  the 
  sun-baked 
  bottom 
  will 
  absorb 
  many 
  showers 
  without 
  leaving 
  any 
  

   standing 
  water 
  on 
  the 
  surface. 
  

  

  (2) 
  Punched 
  out 
  holes 
  or 
  ponds 
  often 
  of 
  clear 
  water, 
  situated 
  on 
  the 
  ridges. 
  Of 
  

   these 
  holes 
  Fiske 
  says 
  " 
  They 
  fill 
  and 
  overflow 
  during 
  the 
  rains 
  and 
  usually 
  dry 
  

   quickly 
  following 
  their 
  cessation." 
  Also, 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  probably 
  important, 
  they 
  are 
  

   replenished 
  by 
  any 
  chance 
  shower 
  of 
  rain. 
  Such 
  a 
  waterhole 
  is 
  a 
  feature 
  of 
  Fiske's 
  

  

  ' 
  foci," 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  fly 
  concentrate 
  during 
  the 
  dry 
  season. 
  Other 
  characters 
  of 
  

   these 
  foci 
  are 
  freedom 
  from 
  bush, 
  and 
  shorter 
  finer 
  grass 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  surrounded 
  by 
  

   bush 
  which 
  is 
  often 
  unusually 
  thick. 
  Game 
  is 
  also 
  always 
  present. 
  Fiske 
  assumes, 
  

   as 
  a 
  result 
  of 
  his 
  work 
  in 
  the 
  belt, 
  that 
  morsitans 
  finds 
  particularly 
  favourable 
  conditions 
  

   for 
  breeding 
  within 
  these 
  foci, 
  at 
  all 
  events 
  during 
  the 
  least 
  favourable 
  season 
  of 
  

   the 
  year, 
  and 
  that 
  it 
  disperses 
  from 
  them 
  freely, 
  especially 
  during 
  the 
  wet 
  season. 
  

   No 
  fly 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  open 
  plains 
  about 
  the 
  Kafu 
  except 
  such 
  as 
  may 
  follow 
  

   passengers 
  along 
  the 
  roads. 
  As 
  regards 
  pupae, 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  these 
  in 
  fair 
  numbers 
  

   in 
  the 
  crevices 
  of 
  ant-hills 
  and 
  under 
  fallen 
  tree-trunks. 
  Fiske 
  is 
  of 
  opinion 
  that 
  

  

  