222 INSECTS 



once into a pupa. It has been said that the Tse-tse 

 fly is not found far away from game, preferably 

 buffaloes, but on this erroneous idea I shall have 

 more to say in my chapter dealing with the 

 Zoology of Zambezia. It would, I have thought, 

 be interesting as an experiment to determine how 

 far the venom of their bite may be varied or 

 lessened by the change of diet produced by the 

 disappearance of the buffalo from some of their 

 haunts. Fortunately the other form (6r. palpalis) 

 has not yet, I believe, been reported. The Tse-tse 

 is a small, smoky-brown insect, not unhke the 

 common domestic variety, and, speaking from 

 memory, rather less than half an inch long ; but a 

 striking indication of its identity is afforded by the 

 wings, which, in the position of rest, close one over 

 the other like the blades of a pair of scissors. 

 Their destructive effect on horses, cattle, dogs, and 

 in fact all domestic animals, is most remarkable ; 

 donkeys appear to suffer but little, however, less 

 indeed than mules, whilst the human animal is 

 only temporarily inconvenienced by the momentary 

 inflammation which the venom of their puncture 

 induces. The Tse-tse is not active by night, and 

 thus after sunset horses and cattle may be removed 

 from one place to another in comparative safety. 



Large horse-flies and gad-flies are numerous in 

 the summer, and inflict painful punctures. 



Among the Mantidse, one very large praying 

 Mantis, of bright transparent green, is often observed. 

 There are several varieties, of which the one men- 

 tioned is perhaps the commonest. He is a bar- 

 barous creature, catching and devouring fhes and 



