CHAPTER VIII. 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN [continued) — EXTERNAL 
parasites. 
Blood-sucking Flies. 
These huge creatures are not exempt from the annoyance of flies ; 
mosquitoes even causing them great irritation. 
Fleming in his " Animal Plagues " mentions that — 
A.D. 260. When Saphor, King of Persia, was besieging 
Nisibus, his elephants and beasts of burden were so suddenly and 
furiously attacked by swarms of gnats as to kill or disable them, 
thus causing the siege to be raised, and subsequently leading to the 
discomfiture of that monarch's army." — [Theodorite, Hist. EccleSj 
Book II, page 30.) 
Steel, page 53, also records that ''the tsetse-fly in South Africa 
has proved a serious enemy to the elephants, its poison giving rise 
to anthracoid symptoms and rapidly fatal results." 
Selous in his work " A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa " makes 
frequent reference to this fly, which he describes as the " most 
abominable of all created insects." 
In Burma in certain tracts, and at certain seasons of the year, 
flies and other pests are very troublesome to all animals. This is 
especially the case after the first few thunderstorms towards the 
end of the hot weather and also during breaks in the monsoon. 
On the appearance of an animal they swarm out of the jungle 
and attack it, and owing to their numbers and the severity of their 
bites often cause much irritation and soreness of the skin. 
When flies are about, elephants like other animals become 
agitated and with ears flapping, tails and trunks swinging, make 
very rapid journeys in order to escape from their tormentors. 
Certain flies appear to be more or less confined to particular 
areas suitable to their phases of development and mode of life. 
As a rule they confine themselves to the proximity of water or 
damp areas where vegetation, etc., is usually luxuriant, though 
by reason of winds or other agency they may be found at some 
little distance from their place of origin. The agency of several 
species of blood-sucking flies in the transmission of certain diseases 
