THE SPORTSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA. 73 



In South-central Africa, or, indeed, wherever the Buffalo is met 

 with in abundance, the tsetse fly (Gossina morsitans) is everywhere 

 prevalent. This dire pest is not quite, but very nearly, as large as 

 the common horse fly found in England, being of a leaden grey 

 colour, banded transversely with four light yellow pinkish bars, and 

 the wings are similarly situated to the common house fly. The 

 bite is deadly to all domesticated animals, except such as are actually 

 bred in the districts frequented by the "fly," and even these are not 

 always invulnerable to the poison injected from the proboscis of the 

 insect. When horses or oxen are " stuck," they do not show any 

 signs of the fact until they have experienced a thorough wetting, 

 but immediately after this, the coats of the doomed beasts stand on 

 end, the nostrils start running, and emaciation sets in rapidly, death 

 finally supervening from debility. Neither the exact nature of the 

 virus, or any cure or preventive, has up to the moment of writing 

 been discovered. From the foregoing remarks it must not be 

 understood that fatalities will occur from the bites of one or perhaps 

 half-a-dozen flies, but where bitten to any extent the result is always 

 disastrous, and, although not so to mankind, its effect upon bipeds 

 is extremely painful, scarcely less so in fact than the sting of a bee. 

 The tsetse is possessed of remarkable agility, and is difficult to 

 catch with the hand, but they may be readily captured by pinning 

 the legs with the blade of a knife, and this should be done, if 

 possible, where they have alighted on animals in districts where 

 they are presumed not to exist in any great numbers. Some 

 authorities are willing to account for this pest being always found 

 in attendance on the Buff'alo by the fact that the insect hatches 

 its eggs in the skin or the dung of that animal. 



The reputation for ferocity enjoyed by the Cape Buffalo has been 

 much exaggerated, for on being disturbed it generally prefers to run 

 away rather than initiate an attack. The reverse will, however, 

 often be found to be the case with some whose tempers have not 

 been rendered equable by the recollection of the unpleasant effect 

 produced by some bullet or assegai wound inflicted in past days, 

 and an unprovoked charge from one of these may not be wondered 

 at. As exemplified by the numerous fatalities which have occurred 

 attendant upon their projected destruction (with perhaps the 

 exception of a "cornered" Lion), there is no animal in Africa so 

 dangerous to tackle when wounded, and especially when followed 

 up in thick bush. They will there very often lie in waiting 



