612 



THE TSETSE. 



nothing moving apparently but the proboscis. I wished that I 

 had been able to take a photograph of a scene so seldom beheld, 

 and which is destined, as guns increase, to pass away from earth. 

 When we descended we found all the animals remarkably tame. 

 The elephants stood beneath the trees, fanning themselves with 

 their large ears, as if they did not see us at 200 or 300 yards dis- 

 tance. The number of animals was quite astonishing, and made 

 me think that here I could realize an image of that time when 

 Megatheria fed undisturbed in the primeval forests. We saw 

 great numbers of red-colored pigs (Potamochoerus) standing 

 gazing at us in wonder. The people live on the hills, and, 

 having no guns, seldom disturb the game. They have never 

 been visited, even by half-castes ; but Babisa traders have come 

 occasionally. Continuous rains kept us for some time on the 

 banks of the Chiponga, and here we were unfortunate enough to 

 come among the tsetse. Mr. J. N. Gray, of the British Museum, 

 has kindly obliged me with a drawing of the insect, with the rav- 

 ages of which I have unfortunately been too familiar. (For de- 

 scription, see p. 94-96.) No. 1 is the insect somewhat smaller 



1. The Tsetse. 2. The same magnified. 3. The Proboscis. 



than life, from the specimen having contracted in drying ; they 

 are a little larger than the common house-fly. No. 2 is the 



