IN THE ILORIN PROVINCE OF NORTHERN NIGERIA. 19 



the whole of this country and to exterminate the tsetse-flies. What would be a 

 very difficult and costly undertaking in a district harbouring only G. palpalis is 

 an impossible one where G. svbmorsitans is concerned ; and the clearing, even if 

 once carried out, would have to be maintained year after year, or close under- 

 growth, the type of vegetation that is most favourable to these insects, would 

 soon spring up. What then could be done? From the study of the tsetses in 

 the western division of Ilorin it is evident that it is quite feasible to raise 

 stock in districts in which these flies (G. palpalis and G. tachinoides) are widely 

 distributed, provided that the insects are not too numerous, and are localised in 

 definite haunts. No doubt under more favourable conditions many more herds 

 of cattle could be maintained in this area, but the fact remains that the Fulani 

 herdsmen already regard the country as affording good grazing-grounds, in spite 

 of the fact that practically every stream is a tsetse-haunt. It is not therefore 

 necessary to despair of finding grazing-grounds in some parts of the eastern 

 and southern divisions. The country appears to be admirably adapted to such 

 uses in many places, if only some means could be devised to protect the cattle 

 from the attacks of tsetse-flies. The observations on the dwarf cattle recorded 

 above suggest that this might be accomplished, and the well known fact that 

 tsetses cannot survive exposure to direct sunshine for more than a few minutes 

 indicates the nature of the measures that might be adopted. It would be 

 necessary to maintain a wide area cleared of all undergrowth round the villages 

 and towns, and to direct a number of similarly cleared roads and tracks from 

 this centre towards the farm lands and grazing-grounds. The banks of the 

 streams would also require to be cleared for some distance on either side of the 

 local water supply, and at the points to which the cattle were led to drink. It 

 might in some cases be possible to institute village grazing-grounds, suitably 

 enclosed, and with access to a cleared reach of a stream, in which the smaller 

 domestic animals muj;ht be confined. It would of course be necessary to 

 change the site of these plots from time to time, but the land thus fertilised 

 would be valuable for agricultural purposes, and by this means additions would 

 be made automatically to the cleared areas around the villages. 



Throughout the province the main roads should be cleared, and the banks 

 of the stream for some distance on either side of the crossings. The natives 

 should be encouraged to farm the road-sides, as cultivation has proved to be 

 the most effective way of exterminating tsetse-flies. Not only would this protect 

 the local cattle when moving from pasture to pasture, but it would tend to 

 diminish the spread of infections introduced by herds passing through the 

 province on their way to the coast. These herds trekking down from the 

 north are a serious source of infection. For the most part they enter Ilorin by 

 crossing the Niger at four points — Jebba, Ogudu, Likpata and Patigi — and the 

 most natural course would be to examine the herds on their arrival at these 

 places, and to prevent any animals suffering from trypanosomiasis from pro- 

 ceeding on their journey, either slaughtering them or detaining them in isolation 

 camps. Such a measure would, however, entail the provision of a staff of 

 trained microscopists, as animals often have large numbers of parasites in the 

 blood, and are therefore highly infectious, some time before the appearance of 

 symptoms ; and the herdsmen themselves are accustomed to slaughter their stock 

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