RESEARCH IN BRITISH WEST AFRICA. 



iil 



VI. NATIVE NAMES FOR INSECTS AND DISEASES 

 CARRIED BY THEM. 



Tlie study of the native names of blood-sucking insects is fraught with many 

 difficulties, as, more often than not, one name is used to include insects of 

 very diifereut groups, while again in some places diflerent species have special 

 names and these names do not always coincide. 



So far as I was able to gather, the Hausa names are as follows : — 

 Mosquito = Soro. 

 Tsetse = Barabaji. 



Small Tabanids (sometimes also Tsetse) = Gudanchiza (i.e. biting flies). 

 In Igara : — 



Mosquito = Imu. 

 Any biting fly = Unu. 



Large Tabanids — Unuefa (efa = bush cow). 

 According to Dr. J. M. Dalziel, the native names in the Sokoto Province, 

 where he has spent a considerable time, are : — 

 " Glossina spp., Tsande or Cheda (Zamfara). 

 Tabanus spp., Bobua or Kujen-giwa (generally the larger species such as 



T. higuttatus, but commonly used for any Tahaaus). 

 Haematopota spp. (and Ckrysops), recognised by the natives by their 



dappled wings, Kujeu bauna or Sambaliko (Zamfara). 

 N.B. — The name Barabaji is correctly used only for Hippolwsca, but is 

 sometimes applied to practically every different species of biting fly, even 

 the tiny Lyperosia minuta." 

 Just as in the Gambia,* most of the tribes in Northern Nigeria distinguish 

 the lethargic stage of trypanosomiasis from the earlier stage, which is 

 characterised by the presence of " bumps in the neck " or enlarged cervical 

 fflands, thus : — 



Tribe. " Bumps." 



Sleeping Sickness. 



Hausa ... 



Nupe 



Ikoto 



Igara 



Chiwon wia (sick neck)... 

 Patugi (patu = neck) ... 



Atogbe 



Atalahu 



Cliiwon berichi. 

 Bata elle. 

 Uku wara. 

 Oga ulu. 



In the above names for sleeping sickness the first word in every case signifies 

 " sick," and the second word " sleep." 



Trypanosomiasis in horses is known at Umaisha by the name of Chivvon-aguna 

 which is literally " sick-swelling." 



VIL— THE GENUS GLOSSINA. 



Five species of this genus have been found in Northern Nigeria, namely. G. 

 palpalis, G. tachinoides, G. longipalpis, G. fusca^ and one other which for the 



"•' Bull. Ent. Res. II, pt. 3, p. 219. 



f G. fusca has been recorded from Ife and between Poinia and Allu in Kabba Province, but 

 none of these places have I been able to locate. 



