﻿404 
  W. 
  F. 
  FISKE. 
  

  

  4. 
  Comparison 
  between 
  Varanus 
  and 
  Man. 
  

  

  On 
  31st 
  October 
  1913 
  a 
  large 
  Varanus 
  was 
  tethered 
  at 
  a 
  point 
  on 
  the 
  shore 
  of 
  

   Bulago 
  Island 
  infested 
  by 
  Glossina. 
  The 
  morning 
  was 
  cool, 
  and 
  few 
  flies 
  were 
  

   active 
  until 
  about 
  11 
  o'clock, 
  when 
  the 
  weather 
  cleared. 
  It 
  was 
  then 
  noted 
  that 
  

   the 
  observer 
  appeared 
  rather 
  more 
  attractive 
  to 
  them 
  than 
  the 
  Varanus. 
  

  

  From 
  noon 
  until 
  1.30 
  the 
  animal 
  was 
  left 
  alone, 
  and 
  on 
  returning 
  to 
  it, 
  more 
  than 
  

   30 
  (perhaps 
  more 
  than 
  50) 
  flies 
  were 
  resting 
  on 
  or 
  near 
  it, 
  and 
  many 
  more 
  were 
  

   close 
  at 
  hand. 
  Many 
  were 
  feeding, 
  and 
  about 
  100 
  were 
  observed 
  to 
  engorge 
  in 
  

   the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  afternoon. 
  

  

  No 
  fly 
  bit 
  the 
  observer 
  during 
  this 
  period, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  estimated 
  that 
  30 
  flies 
  came 
  

   to 
  the 
  reptile 
  to 
  1 
  that 
  would 
  come 
  to 
  him 
  — 
  in 
  sharp 
  contrast 
  to 
  the 
  conditions 
  

   in 
  the 
  morning. 
  

  

  This 
  was 
  a 
  true 
  " 
  following 
  swarm," 
  and 
  the 
  only 
  one 
  that 
  could 
  ever 
  be 
  induced 
  to 
  

   gather 
  on 
  an 
  animal 
  in 
  captivity 
  or 
  under 
  constraint. 
  The 
  failure 
  of 
  all 
  other 
  experi- 
  

   ments 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  is 
  believed, 
  certainly, 
  to 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  uneasiness 
  of 
  the 
  animal, 
  

   and 
  it 
  was 
  long 
  afterwards 
  recalled 
  that 
  the 
  animal 
  in 
  this 
  particular 
  experiment 
  

   had 
  been 
  quite 
  severely 
  wounded, 
  and 
  was 
  disinclined 
  to 
  activity. 
  

  

  VI 
  (d). 
  Approach 
  and 
  Observation 
  of 
  Animate 
  in 
  a 
  Natural 
  Environment 
  to 
  

   determine 
  Hosts 
  and 
  Host 
  Preferences 
  of 
  Glossina 
  palpalis* 
  

  

  Varanus, 
  

  

  Varanus 
  were 
  approached 
  on 
  a 
  fair 
  number 
  of 
  occasions, 
  and 
  ample 
  confirmation 
  

   was 
  secured 
  of 
  their 
  attractiveness 
  to 
  tsetse 
  as 
  a 
  host. 
  

  

  Crocodile. 
  

  

  Crocodile 
  was 
  never 
  actually 
  approached, 
  for 
  there 
  are 
  few 
  animals 
  more 
  quick 
  

   to 
  take 
  alarm 
  at 
  the 
  sound 
  of 
  an 
  intruder, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  first 
  alarm 
  a 
  crocodile— 
  

   unlike 
  many 
  other 
  animals 
  — 
  is 
  sure 
  to 
  make 
  off. 
  But 
  on 
  several 
  occasions 
  when 
  

   they 
  have 
  been 
  seen 
  to 
  slip 
  quietly 
  into 
  the 
  water, 
  the 
  vegetation 
  near 
  the 
  spot 
  

   where 
  they 
  were 
  resting 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  covered 
  with 
  engorged 
  flies 
  ; 
  on 
  one 
  

   occasion 
  in 
  such 
  numbers 
  that 
  the 
  small 
  bushes 
  nearest 
  at 
  hand 
  seemed 
  thick 
  

   with 
  red 
  berries. 
  

  

  Si 
  utunga. 
  

  

  Attempts 
  to 
  approach 
  situtunga 
  were 
  singularly 
  successful. 
  Many 
  of 
  the 
  animals 
  

   on 
  the 
  islands 
  had 
  never 
  seen 
  man, 
  and 
  though 
  the 
  scent 
  of 
  him 
  would 
  stampede 
  

   them 
  instantly, 
  they 
  were 
  not, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  at 
  all 
  alarmed 
  at 
  the 
  sight 
  of 
  him 
  if 
  hi 
  

   remained 
  motionless. 
  Perhaps 
  a 
  dozen 
  in 
  all 
  were 
  successfully 
  approached. 
  

  

  Notes 
  on 
  behaviour 
  of 
  fly 
  toward 
  this 
  host 
  have 
  already 
  been 
  presented. 
  Ths 
  

   behaviour 
  of 
  the 
  host 
  toward 
  fly 
  was 
  rarely 
  positive. 
  They 
  are 
  phlegmatic, 
  and 
  very 
  

   bovine 
  in 
  their 
  actions, 
  only 
  occasionally 
  showing 
  signs 
  of 
  annoyance 
  by 
  a 
  move- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  if 
  flies 
  are 
  very 
  persistent. 
  An 
  exception 
  was 
  a 
  half-grown 
  male, 
  

   accompanying 
  several 
  adults, 
  which 
  displayed 
  almost 
  continual 
  annoyance, 
  with 
  

   Sfomoxys 
  no 
  less 
  than 
  with 
  Glossina. 
  

  

  * 
  -See 
  also 
  notes 
  on 
  " 
  following 
  swarm," 
  Sect. 
  IV. 
  

  

  