Reports to the Foreign Office. 153 
Majesty’s Commissioner in the British Central Africa Protectorate 
respecting the supposed connexion between Tsetse-fly and Buffalo. 
I am, etc., 
Clement Ll. Hill. 
To The Director, 
Natural History Museum. 
The Residency, Zomba, 
British Central Africa Protectorate, 
80 th September , 1901. 
To His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign 
Affairs. 
My Lord, — With reference to your Lordship’s despatches Nos. 
141 and 155, enclosing copies of correspondence on the subject of the 
connection between the existence of Tsetse-fly and the preservation of 
Buffalo, I have the honour to append a few notes which give my own 
experience during the past fourteen years in Africa on this subject. 
(1) Tsetse-fly would appear to depend upon wild game for their 
existence, as I have never found Tsetse in any locality where game was 
totally non-existent. 
(2) Tsetse does not appear to be in any way specially dependent upon 
buffalo. On the plains at the north end of Nyassa, before rinderpest 
made its appearance, there were vast herds of Buffalo, but no Tsetse. 
The natives at the north end at that time owned large quantities of cattle 
which could be seen grazing in close proximity to Buffalo. When 
rinderpest came it killed practically all the cattle and all the Buffalo. 
In other districts of British Central Africa Tsetse are found in large 
quantities where Buffalo, at the present date, at any rate, do not exist. 
(3) Tsetse are not found (in British Central Africa) in open plains, 
although such plains may have large quantities of game on them, and 
in spite of the fact that at the edges of the plains, where forest abounds 
Tsetse are found. 
It would appear, therefore, that what regulates the presence of Tsetse- 
fly is the description of the country almost as much as the abundance or 
scarcity of game. 
I have, etc., 
(Signed) Alfred Sharpe, 
His Majesty's Commissioner and Consul-General. 
Foreign Office, 
27th November, 1901. 
To The Director, Natural History Museum. 
Sir, — With reference to my letter of the 20th instant, I am directed 
by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to transmit to you for your 
information a copy of a despatch which has been received from the acting 
British Commissioner in Uganda, respecting the supposed connection 
between Tsetse-fly and Buffalo. 
I am, etc., 
Clement Ll. Hill. 
