RESEARCH IN BRITISH WEST AFRICA, 211 
clothing, and very easily through woollen socks, so that in tsetse country the ankles 
should be well protected by some form of top-boot, e.g. mosquito-boots, or putties, 
but on no account should * shorts” be worn, as they render one very liable to 
bites behind the knees. 
A third point in the habits of Glossina, as noticed on other occasions but 
emphasised during the Bintang tour, is the fact that movement has a decided 
attraction for tsetses. It is a matter of every day observation that, even in a 
place where tsetse are abundant, if everyone remains perfectly still few if any 
tsetse will leave their hiding places and come out to attack, but numbers will be 
lured from their retreats by any person walking slowly backwards and forwards. 
The same condition of affairs obtains in the case of cattle. What is more 
surprising is the fact that very few tsetse fly on board a launch when it is at 
anchor, even when it is moored alongside the bank at a tsetse-haunt. As soon, 
however, as it gets under weigh, they immediately swarm on board, flying even 
a distance of 100 yards in pursuit. 
The essential points observed during my journey by launch to MacCarthy 
Island have already been referred to in connection with the vegetation on the 
river banks, so that it is necessary here to give only such records of blood-suck- 
ing flies as have not yet been noted. 
South end of Elephant Island :— 
Glossina palpalis. 
Tabanus laverani. 
Ballangar :-— 
Glossina palpalis. 
Barijali :— 
Glossina palpalis. 
Tabanus taeniola. 
Near Kai-ai :— 
Glossina palpalis. 
Tabanus taeniola. 
Tabanus biguttatus var. croceus. 
(f.) Niumi Province. 
Sika (see Map) is a Mandingo town of moderate size and stands in a fairly 
extensive clearing ; it is situated some distance from the river and is surrounded 
by dense bush, According to the headman of the town, cattle live well here 
but horses die off soon after arrival. Glossina palpalis occurs even in the 
height of the dry season (1) in the camp, (2) in the bush separating the town 
from the river, and (3) in the mangrove swamp fringing the river bank. The 
people seemed well acquainted with sleeping-sickness, and strongly maintained 
that nearly every year one or more died from this disease. The first part of the 
road to Albreda is through thick dense bush, a veritable haunt of G. palpalis ; 
further on, an extensive swamp consisting of numerous rice farms is crossed, and 
thick bush is again entered before reaching Albreda. This town was formerly 
a French possession but was ceded to the British in 1857. Up till recently it was 
an important trading port, but now no Europeans are stationed there. The town 
