﻿180 JAS. J. SIMPSON — ENTOMOLOGICAL 



In addition to the species of blood-sucking flies obtained by the writer, 

 Dr. W. S. Clark and Mr. E. Dayrell have sent a number of species, and the 

 following list has been compiled from these sources. At Obokum on the Cross 

 River, near the German frontier, Tabanus besti* T. marmorosus, T. obscurehirtus., 

 T. ruficrus and T. secedens are common ; while from Ikom station the following 

 species have been recorded : — Glossina palpalis. G. fusca, G. tabaniformis , 

 G. tachinoides, Subpangonia grahami, sp. n. (see p. ), Tabanus fasciatus, 



T. obscurissimus, T. ruficrus, T. taeniola, Chrysops silacea, Haematopota cordigera, 

 Hippocentrum trimaculatum, Mansonioides uniformis and Myzomyia costalis. 

 Rhipicephalus sanguineus is very common on the cattle, sheep, goats and dogs. 



I traversed the whole of the Cross River from Ikom to Calabar by launch and 

 obtained an enormous number of biting flies by this means. The accompanying 

 photographs (PI. IV, fig. 2 and PI. V) will serve to give some idea of the 

 nature of the banks of this river during the dry season. In the rainy season 

 the level of the river ascends to the top of the banks, a distance of over forty 

 feet in some places where the river is narrow (PL V, fig. 2). 



The portion of the river between Ikom and Obubra was undoubtedly the worst 

 haunt of Glossina palpalis seen by me in Southern Nigeria, and is comparable 

 only with the Bintang Creek in the Gambia.* Besides this species the 

 following were also abundant : — Tabanus fasciatus, T. ruficrus, T. tacniola and 

 T. combustus. 



Obubra. — Southwards from Ikom is the district of Obubra. It is very hilly 

 and full of deep ravines, stony in places, but fertile, except in the Ikwe country, 

 which is very swampy. Cattle, sheep and goats are kept by the natives, and a 

 few horses exist near the northern boundary. The game is very similar to that 

 at Ikom. In and around the station of Obubra the following species of blood- 

 sucking flies have been caught : — Tabanus fasciatus, Subpangonia gravoti, Haema- 

 topota cordigera, Mansonioides uniformis, Myzomyia funesta and M. costalis. 

 Rhipicephalus sanguineus is very troublesome to cattle, sheep and goats. 

 Between Obubra and Afikpo the following species were caught on board the 

 steamer : — Glossina palpalis, Tabanus fasciatus, T. secedens, T. taeniola and 

 T. thoracinus, while near Ediba Beach Tahanus combustus and T. besti were 

 obtained. 



Afikpo. — The district of Afikpo is situated on both banks of the Cross River. 

 On the leffc bank the country is thickly forested, but on the right it is open, 

 grassy and very undulating, gradually merging into the rolling grassy plains and 

 hills of Okigwi. On the road from Okigwi to Afikpo, Glossina palpalis was 

 caught at the Iziarka River ; between this river and the town of Eke-Ada the 

 same species was encountered along with Hippocentrum trimaculatum, while 

 between Eke-Ada and Afikpo only the latter species was seen. 



The station of Afikpo is situated on a high hill over a mile from the river. 

 At the base of this hill there is a large swamp which is a powerful local fetish. 

 This swamp is a pestilential breeding-place for mosquitos. Some difficulty has 



* Bull, Ent. Res. IT, pt. 3, r. 209, 



