﻿97 
  

   TSETSE 
  FLY 
  AND 
  BIG 
  GAME 
  IN 
  SOUTHERN 
  RHODESIA. 
  

   By 
  Rupert 
  W. 
  Jack, 
  F.B.S., 
  

   Government 
  Entomologist, 
  Southern 
  Rhodesia. 
  

   (Maps 
  I 
  and 
  II). 
  

  

  In 
  Southern 
  Rhodesia 
  conditions 
  are 
  better 
  than 
  in 
  most 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  Africa 
  for 
  

   gathering 
  information 
  concerning 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  tsetse 
  in 
  the 
  past, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  

   even 
  in 
  the 
  present. 
  This 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  a 
  combination 
  of 
  two 
  factors, 
  namely, 
  that 
  only 
  

   one 
  species 
  of 
  tsetse, 
  Glossina 
  morsitans, 
  is 
  found 
  within 
  our 
  borders, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  

   territory, 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  the 
  Central 
  African 
  States, 
  contains 
  and 
  has 
  

   contained 
  a 
  relatively 
  large 
  European 
  population. 
  The 
  first 
  factor 
  eliminates 
  the 
  

   possibility 
  of 
  confusion 
  of 
  species 
  in 
  connexion 
  with 
  the 
  evidence 
  forthcoming, 
  at 
  

   least 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  those 
  able 
  to 
  distinguish 
  tsetse 
  from 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  blood- 
  

   sucking 
  flies, 
  whilst 
  the 
  second 
  provides 
  a 
  more 
  reliable 
  source 
  of 
  information 
  than 
  

   the 
  native. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  past 
  five 
  years, 
  native 
  commissioners, 
  officers 
  of 
  the 
  police, 
  

   and 
  other 
  residents 
  especially 
  familiar 
  with 
  certain 
  districts 
  of 
  the 
  territory, 
  have 
  

   been 
  laid 
  under 
  contribution 
  for 
  information 
  concerning 
  the 
  former 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  

   fly-infested 
  areas, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  many 
  valuable 
  facts 
  have 
  come 
  to 
  fight. 
  These 
  

   combined 
  with 
  what 
  we 
  have 
  learned 
  from 
  the 
  early 
  hunters 
  and 
  explorers, 
  and 
  the 
  

   knowledge 
  gained 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  fly, 
  obtained 
  from 
  all 
  available 
  sources 
  

   and 
  from 
  personal 
  observation, 
  form 
  a 
  history, 
  incomplete 
  indeed, 
  but 
  still 
  of 
  some 
  

   interest, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  of 
  value 
  as 
  a 
  contribution 
  to 
  the 
  sum 
  of 
  knowledge 
  concerning 
  

   this 
  insect. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  important 
  bearing 
  of 
  these 
  facts 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  on 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  the 
  

   necessity 
  or 
  otherwise 
  of 
  big 
  game 
  to 
  the 
  well-being 
  of 
  the 
  fly, 
  and 
  the 
  following 
  

   article 
  aims 
  at 
  an 
  examination 
  of 
  this 
  question 
  in 
  the 
  light 
  of 
  the 
  information 
  at 
  our 
  

   disposal 
  in 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  insect's 
  range. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  stated 
  at 
  once 
  that 
  the 
  case 
  

   built 
  up 
  is 
  considered 
  strongly 
  in 
  favour 
  of 
  a 
  vital 
  association 
  between 
  the 
  prevalence 
  

   of 
  big 
  game 
  and 
  the 
  continuance 
  and 
  increase 
  of 
  the 
  fly. 
  

  

  First 
  of 
  all, 
  some 
  remarks 
  are 
  necessary 
  concerning 
  the 
  most 
  direct 
  method 
  of 
  

   collecting 
  evidence 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  association 
  between 
  tsetse 
  and 
  big 
  game, 
  namely, 
  

   observations 
  on 
  the 
  prevalence 
  or 
  otherwise 
  of 
  big 
  game 
  in 
  areas 
  infested 
  with 
  fly. 
  

   During 
  the 
  last 
  four 
  and 
  a-half 
  years 
  the 
  writer 
  has 
  visited 
  the 
  great 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  

   fly-belts 
  in 
  the 
  territory, 
  and 
  the 
  main 
  belts 
  repeatedly, 
  and, 
  broadly 
  expressed, 
  the 
  

   results 
  of 
  observations 
  on 
  game 
  and 
  fly 
  are 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  that 
  in 
  most 
  cases 
  game 
  is 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  abundant 
  all 
  the 
  year 
  round 
  in 
  By-infested 
  country, 
  and 
  that 
  in 
  no 
  

   instance 
  is 
  the 
  larger 
  animal 
  life 
  altogether 
  absent, 
  even 
  during 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  year. 
  

   The 
  most 
  noteworthy 
  locality 
  where 
  fly 
  occurs 
  in 
  abundance 
  and 
  big 
  game 
  is 
  scarce 
  

   towards 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  dry 
  season 
  is 
  below 
  the 
  escarpment 
  in 
  the 
  Lomagundi 
  district, 
  

   in 
  the 
  triangle 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  Hanyani 
  and 
  the 
  Ambi 
  Rivers 
  with 
  the 
  Rukowakuona 
  

   Mountains 
  (the 
  escparment). 
  The 
  Dande 
  and 
  Ambi 
  rivers 
  and 
  their 
  tributary 
  

   streams 
  contain 
  no 
  surface 
  water 
  in 
  October 
  and 
  November, 
  the 
  few 
  natives 
  living 
  

   on 
  the 
  Dande 
  obtaining 
  water 
  at 
  this 
  period 
  by 
  digging 
  holes 
  in 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  

   The 
  little 
  Gorai 
  River 
  is 
  a 
  tributary 
  of 
  the 
  Dande 
  and 
  a 
  well-known 
  haunt 
  of 
  tsetse. 
  

  

  (C53) 
  Wt.P8 
  63. 
  6. 
  1000. 
  9.14. 
  B.&F.Ltd.Gll/l 
  A 
  

  

  