﻿INVESTIGATIONS 
  INTO 
  THE 
  BIONOMICS 
  OF 
  GLOSSINA 
  PALPALIS. 
  399 
  

  

  Small 
  Mammals. 
  

  

  Otter 
  is 
  very 
  common 
  on 
  the 
  islands 
  ; 
  mongoose 
  on 
  certain 
  islands 
  ; 
  " 
  edible 
  

   rats 
  " 
  on 
  Sesse 
  (Bugalla) 
  and 
  perhaps 
  others 
  ; 
  Hyrax 
  on 
  Sesse 
  ; 
  civet 
  cat 
  on 
  Sesse 
  ; 
  

   rats 
  (in 
  excessive 
  numbers, 
  sometimes) 
  on 
  many 
  islands 
  ; 
  and 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  other 
  

   small 
  mammals 
  were 
  observed. 
  None 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  slightest 
  account 
  as 
  hosts 
  of 
  

   tsetse, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  any 
  evidence 
  even 
  remotely 
  indicates. 
  

  

  Fruit 
  bats, 
  including 
  a 
  large 
  " 
  flying 
  fox," 
  are 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  fauna, 
  

   on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  quantities 
  of 
  wild 
  figs 
  that 
  abound 
  along 
  rocky 
  shores. 
  

   The 
  smaller 
  species 
  sleep 
  suspended 
  from 
  low 
  bushes 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  manner 
  as 
  to 
  expose 
  

   themselves 
  to 
  tsetse, 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  shred 
  of 
  evidence 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  ever 
  fed 
  upon. 
  

  

  Birds. 
  

  

  A 
  very 
  conspicuous 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  fauna 
  is 
  the 
  excessive 
  abundance 
  of 
  shore 
  

   birds 
  : 
  cormorants 
  of 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  species, 
  and 
  darters. 
  They 
  breed 
  in 
  low 
  bush 
  along 
  

   the 
  shore 
  and 
  roost 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  on 
  trees 
  and 
  (frequently) 
  on 
  low 
  rocks, 
  which 
  

   bring 
  them 
  within 
  easy 
  reach 
  of 
  tsetse. 
  The 
  flies 
  must 
  occasionally 
  feed 
  upon 
  

   these 
  birds, 
  but 
  every 
  bit 
  of 
  evidence 
  which 
  could 
  be 
  secured 
  was 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  that 
  

   they 
  are 
  of 
  no 
  importance 
  whatever 
  as 
  hosts. 
  They 
  outnumber 
  other 
  large 
  birds 
  

   occurring 
  along 
  the 
  shore. 
  

  

  These 
  others 
  include 
  egret, 
  heron, 
  ibis, 
  crested 
  crane, 
  open-billed 
  stork, 
  saddle- 
  

   billed 
  stork, 
  whale-headed 
  stork 
  (or 
  shoe-bill 
  — 
  not 
  uncommon 
  in 
  certain 
  environ- 
  

   ments), 
  Nile 
  goose, 
  spur- 
  wing 
  goose, 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  others 
  which 
  are 
  potential 
  hosts 
  of 
  

   the 
  fly. 
  But 
  none, 
  apparently, 
  are 
  fed 
  upon 
  except, 
  possibly, 
  in 
  emergency. 
  

  

  Domestic 
  Animals. 
  

  

  Oxen 
  and 
  goats 
  are 
  occasionally 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  herded 
  on 
  the 
  borders 
  of 
  the 
  fly 
  belt, 
  

   as 
  at 
  Entebbe. 
  Formerly 
  oxen, 
  goats, 
  sheep 
  and 
  dogs 
  were 
  domesticated 
  by 
  the 
  

   islanders 
  and, 
  despite 
  constant 
  contact 
  with 
  tsetse, 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  done 
  very 
  

   well. 
  There 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  no 
  cattle 
  ticks 
  on 
  the 
  islands 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  time, 
  and 
  

   before 
  depopulation 
  not 
  all 
  the 
  disease-bearing 
  ticks 
  were 
  present, 
  according 
  to 
  

   available 
  evidence. 
  This 
  and 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  beasts 
  of 
  prey 
  make 
  the 
  islands 
  highly 
  

   favourable 
  for 
  breeding 
  of 
  live-stock. 
  

  

  Domestic 
  pigs 
  were 
  introduced 
  to 
  the 
  islands 
  by 
  Europeans. 
  A 
  few 
  escaped 
  into 
  

   the 
  bush 
  and 
  were 
  left 
  when 
  the 
  islands 
  were 
  depopulated. 
  They 
  increased 
  to 
  

   excessive 
  numbers, 
  which 
  were 
  latterly 
  reduced 
  through 
  unknown 
  causes 
  — 
  possibly 
  

   superabundance 
  and 
  famine. 
  They 
  have 
  adapted 
  themselves 
  well 
  to 
  wild 
  life, 
  and 
  

   have 
  habits 
  very 
  suggestive 
  of 
  the 
  bush-pigs 
  (not 
  in 
  the 
  least 
  like 
  wart-hog) 
  on 
  

   the 
  mainland. 
  But 
  they 
  would 
  fare 
  badly 
  in 
  open 
  competition 
  with 
  the 
  wild 
  pigs, 
  

   for 
  their 
  efforts 
  to 
  uproot 
  the 
  earth 
  are 
  relatively 
  puny 
  and 
  bush-pigs 
  will 
  secure 
  

   food 
  where 
  domestic 
  pigs 
  might 
  starve. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  one 
  island 
  where 
  they 
  occur 
  abundantly 
  (1914-15) 
  they 
  are 
  favoured 
  

   hosts 
  of 
  the 
  fly, 
  and 
  responsible 
  for 
  its 
  notably 
  wide 
  dispersion, 
  if 
  not 
  greater 
  density. 
  

   They 
  could 
  doubtfully 
  exist 
  in 
  the 
  wild 
  state 
  in 
  competition 
  with 
  bush-pig 
  and 
  might 
  

   not 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  escape 
  leopard, 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  islands 
  they 
  thrive 
  so 
  exceedingly 
  well 
  

   in 
  the 
  bush 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  classed 
  as 
  vermin, 
  and 
  ought 
  certainly 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  

   introduced 
  into 
  any 
  island 
  unless 
  strictly 
  confined. 
  

  

  