Insects. 



6965 



our vacant places," as a slight tribute to his memory, T propose for it the name of 

 Tinea Weaverella. — John Scott; Souihfield Villas, Middles bra' -on- Tees, Januarj/ 5 ^ 

 1858. 



The Tzetze. — Mr, Bracy Clark (Zool. 5720) claims the "identification of the 

 tzetze of Africa with CEstrus Bovis." Specimens of the last-named insect may 

 be, as Mr. Clark states, " exceedingly scarce," and since he has been so fortunate 

 as to obtain examples, it is to be regretted that he did not wait to compare his 

 CEstrus with a genuine tzetze, even if he could not accomplish this at the British 

 Museum, before publicly broaching a theory for which there is not the slightest 

 foundation. Mr. Clark refers to Dr. Livingstone's report of the annoyance occasioned 

 by the tzetze ; but he could not, in July last, have seen the detailed account of the 

 insect, its operations and its form, as given in Dr. Livingstone's published * Travels,' 

 which completely disproves Mr. Clark's imaginary " identity." In the ' Travels' the 

 African fly is represented (magnified) on the title-page, and again at p. 571, nearly the 

 natural size, as well as magnified, together with the proboscis and the poison-bulb at 

 the base greatly magnified : these figures are said to have been from a drawing by 

 Mr. J. E. Gray, of the British Museum. The description of the insect will be found 

 at pp. 80 — 83, with incidental notices of it throughout the volume. Dr. Livingstone 

 clearly shows that the real tzelze does possess " a weapon of infliction," and that of 

 a very formidable character, it being triple, but has not " a telescopic sort of tube 

 for thrusting the egg down upon (into?) the skin " (Zool. 5721). The African fly, 

 moreover, does not cause a mad alarm in the cattle by its " susurrus, or whistle," 

 as the gadfly does, while it is the infliction," and not the noise of its approach from 

 which the mischief it occasions proceeds : so that in every respect Mr. Bracy Clark's 

 suppositions are contrary to the actual facts. As some of the readers of the 

 'Zoologist' may have no opportunity of seeing Dr. Livingstone's * Travels,' it may 

 interest them to learn, not only what is not the tzetze, but also what it really is. 

 The scientific name is Glossina Morsitans ; its size rather exceeds that of the 

 common house-fly ; the colour is nearly that of the hive-bee, with three or four 

 yellow bars across the abdomen ; the wings project considerably beyond the body, 

 and it is very active, except when chilled, which soon happens. The bite is certain 

 death to horse, cattle and dog, but the result appears to follow not with equal 

 rapidity in all cases: it is harmless to man, wild animals, mule, ass, goat and sheep, 

 even to calves while sucking, though dogs die when fed upon milk. The districts 

 where the insect prevails vary, it would seem, even arbitrarily, and that they are 

 clearly defined ; for instance, it will be found on one side of a river and not 

 on the other, at a distance of only fifty yards. Dr. Livingstone also mentions 

 reasons for believing that the tzetze has been introduced where formerly it did 

 not exist; but how far we are warranted in hoping for the extinction of the 

 pest, either partially or generally, time and a closer acquaintance with the country 

 are, I think, required to show. — Arthur Hussey ; Rottingdean, January 6, 1858. 



Note on Anisolabia maritima, Bon. — Since my notes on this subject, published in 

 the January number (Zool. 5895), were penned, I have submitted the specimen 

 mentioned as being the first stage of the insect to a microscopic power of 400 diame- 

 ters, in the hope that I might have been able to see some traces of the future develop- 

 ment of the additional joints which appear in the next. I was anxious to ascertain 

 whether my inference that they were formed at the expense of the fourth joint could 

 thereby be strengthened, ox whether, as shown by my friend Mr. Murray, in his 



