﻿384 
  w. 
  f. 
  fiske. 
  

  

  Varanus 
  was 
  more 
  common 
  than 
  on 
  any 
  island 
  of 
  similar 
  size 
  visited. 
  Perhaps 
  

   as 
  many 
  as 
  six 
  per 
  hour 
  were 
  flushed 
  during 
  the 
  survey 
  of 
  it. 
  They 
  were 
  everywhere, 
  

   but 
  were 
  especially 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  clear 
  space 
  above-mentioned, 
  where 
  many 
  had 
  

   their 
  burrows. 
  

  

  There 
  were 
  several 
  bits 
  of 
  sand 
  or 
  gravel 
  beach 
  which 
  offered 
  good 
  breeding 
  grounds 
  

   and 
  excellent 
  shelter 
  for 
  fly, 
  but 
  the 
  shelter 
  in 
  these 
  was 
  less 
  attractive 
  than 
  that 
  

   in 
  the 
  close-cropped 
  clearings, 
  surrounded 
  by 
  forest, 
  bush 
  or 
  jungle 
  and 
  with 
  bits 
  

   of 
  massed 
  vegetation 
  breaking 
  the 
  openings 
  everywhere 
  

  

  The 
  catch 
  of 
  fly 
  was 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  Male 
  Female 
  

  

  Density. 
  Percentage. 
  

  

  Shore 
  points 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  12*3 
  . 
  . 
  21'7 
  

  

  Inland 
  clearing 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  21*0 
  . 
  . 
  1*8 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  quite 
  an 
  exceptional 
  case 
  of 
  concentration 
  of 
  fly 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  

   (150 
  to 
  200 
  yards), 
  due 
  to 
  more 
  attractive 
  shelter 
  and 
  constant 
  abundance 
  of 
  food. 
  

   No 
  breeding 
  places 
  could 
  be 
  found 
  except 
  on 
  the 
  water 
  front. 
  

  

  Dziru 
  Island. 
  

  

  Conditions 
  generally 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  on 
  Manene, 
  except 
  that 
  shelter 
  in 
  the 
  interior 
  

   was 
  not 
  so 
  attractive 
  and 
  concentration 
  of 
  fly 
  less 
  notable. 
  

  

  Mbagive 
  Island. 
  

  

  Mbugwe 
  Island 
  is 
  about 
  two 
  miles 
  in 
  length 
  by 
  one 
  in 
  greatest 
  breadth. 
  It 
  is 
  

   densely 
  forested, 
  and 
  appears 
  never 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  cleared 
  for 
  cultivation 
  except 
  

   at 
  a 
  few 
  points, 
  now 
  overgrown 
  with 
  jungle. 
  The 
  one 
  open 
  space 
  discovered 
  on 
  

   the 
  island 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  a 
  steep 
  hill 
  that 
  occupies 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  broadest 
  

   portion. 
  The 
  very 
  summit 
  of 
  the 
  hill 
  is 
  flat 
  rock, 
  partly 
  covered 
  with 
  thin 
  soil, 
  

   rank 
  grass 
  and 
  scattered 
  bush. 
  The 
  shore 
  is 
  generally 
  rocky 
  with 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  

   bits 
  of 
  beach. 
  

  

  Varanus 
  is 
  common. 
  Ordinarily 
  this 
  reptile 
  occupies 
  burrows 
  in 
  rocky 
  places 
  

   or 
  excavated 
  in 
  light 
  soil 
  in 
  grassy 
  openings, 
  near 
  which 
  are 
  located 
  its 
  habitual 
  

   basking 
  spots. 
  On 
  Mbugwe 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  such 
  openings 
  as 
  are 
  frequented 
  by 
  it 
  — 
  

   at 
  least 
  none 
  were 
  seen 
  — 
  except 
  on 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  hill 
  above-mentioned, 
  the 
  slopes 
  

   of 
  which 
  to 
  the 
  very 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  were 
  covered 
  with 
  dense, 
  old 
  forest. 
  Hence, 
  

   although 
  this 
  opening 
  was 
  fully 
  800 
  to 
  1 
  200 
  yards 
  from 
  the 
  water, 
  it 
  was 
  much 
  

   frequented 
  by 
  the 
  animals, 
  which 
  had 
  fairly 
  covered 
  the 
  soil 
  in 
  places 
  with 
  their 
  

   excreta 
  (containing 
  shells 
  of 
  crabs 
  and 
  molluscs 
  from 
  the 
  lake). 
  

  

  The 
  catches 
  of 
  fly 
  made 
  on 
  this 
  island 
  (4th 
  and 
  5th 
  March 
  1915) 
  were 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Male 
  Female 
  

  

  Catch. 
  Density. 
  Percentage. 
  

  

  Points 
  on 
  shore 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  187 
  . 
  . 
  16*6 
  . 
  . 
  33*5 
  

  

  Crest 
  of 
  hill 
  83 
  .. 
  13*7 
  .. 
  50*6 
  

  

  Breeding 
  grounds 
  were 
  sought 
  for 
  and 
  found 
  in 
  and 
  near 
  the 
  basking 
  spots 
  of 
  

   Varanus, 
  in 
  dry 
  vegetable 
  debris 
  that 
  partly 
  covered 
  the 
  rocks. 
  Six 
  boys, 
  searching 
  

   for 
  one 
  hour 
  found 
  : 
  

  

  Total. 
  Per 
  Boy 
  Hour. 
  

  

  Empty 
  shells 
  55 
  .. 
  9'2 
  

  

  Healthy 
  puparia 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  21 
  . 
  . 
  3*5 
  

  

  