SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 
stalking them. By keeping behind a low hill, 
we got close to them, but failed to bring one 
down. Further on we saw a few more, but 
could not get a shot at them, as they were out 
on the flat plain. The country through which 
we were now passing consisted of wide, perfectly 
flat plains bounded by low, grass-covered hills. 
Here and there were the usual lagoons so typical 
of this country. The water in these is often brack- 
ish and always muddy, owing to the fact that 
the camels, horses and cows wade into it during 
the noonday heat to escape the cruel flies with 
which the country swarms. 
Indeed, so numerous and annoying were the. 
flies, that our ponies were driven to the verge of 
madness. These winged pests ranged from the 
size of midges to that of large wasps, and all bit 
and stung. There was one kind with a long hooked 
tail that had a predilection for settling upon the 
noses of our ponies. So much did the poor animals 
dread this variety (doubtless a species of Warble 
fly), that they would go frantic if one were hover- 
ing round, flinging themselves upon their knees 
and rubbing their noses in the sand or grass. At 
nights, when the ponies were turned loose to graze, 
the smaller varieties of flies would settle in swarms 
upon them, so that one could sweep them up in 
handfuls of juicy pulp. At nights, too, the flies 
were replaced by cruel stabbing mosquitoes, 
especially if we camped near marshy ground. 
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