278 R. B. WOOSNAM— SEARCH FOR GLOSSINA IN THE MASAI RESERVE. 



" receptivity "; that is to say, numbers of flies may feed upon an 

 infected animal, while only a very small percentage of them becomes 

 infective. 



Recommendations. 



The fact that a portion of the trans- Amala area of the newly extended Masai 

 Reserve is inhabited by tsetse-fly does not at present appear to be of any 

 importance or a cause for alarm on account of the natives or their stock, because 

 there are already numbers of Masai who have lived in this area for many years 

 without suffering any appreciable loss. Consequently no precautionary or 

 protective measures appear either necessary or possible. It might perhaps be 

 considerate, and to some extent a precaution, to warn the newly arriving Masai 

 clearly that tsetse-fly does exist in certain areas and that they must keep their 

 cattle away from these places. But this information they will certainly obtain 

 from the present inhabitants of the district, and it is unlikely to be received with 

 much belief or appreciation when coming from a white man. 



Further, it does not appear advisable, if it can be avoided, to allow natives 

 coming from the lake shores, and possibly suffering from trypanosomiasis in an 

 early stage, to visit the area in question until more definite knowledge has been 

 obtained about the tsetse-fly (possibly two species) on the Amala river. There 

 are apparently only two ways in Avhich this might come about. The most 

 probable way is that owing to a road having been lately opened up from the Amala 

 post to Kisii, the District Officers will employ, as porters, natives from Kisii, 

 Homa Bay and South Kavirondo, among whom it is just possible there might 

 be an unsuspected case of sleeping sickness. If District Officers use such porters 

 for journeys down the Amala river it might be worth while avoiding the fly-area 

 under discussion so far as possible. 



The other way in which an unsuspected case of sleeping sickness might con- 

 ceivably be brought into the fly-area would be among the porters employed by 

 shooting parties, of which a few visit the Amala river annually. It appears 

 difficult, if not impossible, to prevent this, and it must be remembered that these 

 shooting parties with Kavirondo porters have been visiting the Amala river for 

 years. However, sportsmen who get into difficulties with tsetse-fly on the Amala 

 do so from ignorance and not from any desire to enter a fly-area. Up to the 

 present, it has never been clear where the fly existed on the Amala. If a copy 

 of the accompanying map is allowed to be supplied to the agents in Nairobi who 

 fit out shooting parties, they will give the necessary warning, with the result that 

 this fly-area will be avoided so far as possible by shooting parties and travellers, 

 to the advantage of all concerned. 



