‘265 
From this account we learn that it is the sound of this insect which 
produces a great amount of trepidation in the cattle of Abyssinia. This 
accords withBracy Clark’s ideas of Oestrus Bovis. Bruce’s description 
of the position of the wings clearly indicates a Dipterous insect, and 
his figure shows a bee-like insect, with a long straight porrected pro¬ 
boscis exactly like that of Glossina. Bruce adds, that the insect 
punctures the thick skin of the camel with its proboscis, the parts 
attacked breaking out into large bosses, which are also occasionally 
found upon the rhinoceros and elephant. It will be observed how¬ 
ever that Bruce merely supposed these tumours to arise from the 
attack of the Zimb. 
I think we have sufficient grounds for believing that Bruce has 
here jumbled together the notion of the buzzing of the CEstrus 
instilling dread into a herd ot cattle, his knowledge of the piercing 
powers of the proboscis of the Setse, and his knowledge ol the tu¬ 
mours caused by the presence of the larvse of CEstri under the skin 
of the camel *, rhinoceros and elephant. The College of Surgeons 
possesses a specimen of the larva of the CEstrus of the rhinoceros, 
and the camel is also subject to the attacks of a species of the same 
genus ; whilst I consider that Bruce’s figure is made up from memory, 
taking the statement of its resemblance to a bee and its possession 
of a proboscis together f. No instance, in fact, is known of a spe¬ 
cies which attacks these animals with its proboscis, forming tumours 
upon their backs such as are described by Bruce, which agree on the 
whole with the tumours caused by the larvse of CEstrus Boris ; and 
we have already seen that no CEstrus is capable of inflicting a wound 
with the organs of the mouth, of which hi fact all the known species 
are destitute, whilst the boring powers of their ovipositors are very 
questionable. 
The accounts given by Mr. R. Gordon Gumming of the destructive 
powers of the Tsetse fully confirm the opinion here advanced, and 
prove that although “its bite is certain death to oxen and horses,” 
it causes no dorsal tumours like an CEstrus. “This hunter’s scourge,” 
he says, “ is similar to a fly in Scotland called Kleg %, but a little 
smaller; they are very quick and active, and storm a horse like a 
swarm of bees, alighting on him in hundreds and drinking his blood. 
The animal thus bitten pines away and dies, at periods varying from 
a week to three months, according to the extent to which he has been 
bitten.” . . . . “ The next day one of my steeds died of the c Tsetse.’ 
The head and body of the poor animal swelled up in a most distress¬ 
ing manner before he died; his eyes were so swollen that he could 
* Pliny was aware of the attacks of (Estri upon the camel, and he informs us 
that the "merchants of Arabia were in the habit of anointing their camels with 
whale- and fish-oils. (Hist. Mund. lib. xxxii. p. 302, et lib. xi. cap. 16. p. 36. 
edit. Pancoucke.) 
f It is evident from the note added by the editor of the 8vo edition, from 
which the above extracts have been made, that the drawing of the insect was not 
a bond fide one made ou the spot, but was manufactured at home. 
X Kleg is the local name for the Heematopota pluvialis. 
