17
APPENDIX I.
SURRA-ZONES AND SURRA-FREE ZONES, SECOND LIST.
All the areas mentioned below as being surra-zones, seem to be most dan-
gerous in the rains and the 6 weeks following the cessation of the rains. In April
and May however a much smaller number of Tabanus are often present but would
not as a rule justify avoidance of the zones in those two months provided care
is taken in selecting camping-grounds. In those parts of the Punjab that I have
so far investigated there appear to be three large areas at least in which camels
could be grazed during the surra season with very slight danger of coming into
contact with Tabanus, although it is not denied that a few are to be met with in
the neighbourhood of standing water within these zones. They are—
(i) The " Thal" which is a large unirrigated tract lying between the
Jhelum and Indus rivers in Mianwali district and in Khushab
tehsil; the grazing is however nearly all lana and the camels bred
there are of poor quality.
(ii) The area composed of Attock district, the southern part of Rawal-
pindi district ; Chakwal tehsil of Jhelum district and those parts of
Jhelum and Pind Dadan Khan tehsils which are situated north of
the Salt Range or its branches. This is an important area for it
contains large areas of hill grazing on the Salt Range and its various
offshoots ; but at present most of the rakhs on these are closed to
camel-grazing.
In this area the following places have come under suspicion :—Oochri in
Attock district, where there are said to be jhils; bank of Sohan
river in places where it inundates its banks; Sohawa, Jhelum dis-
trict, where Tabanus has been found in the immediate neighbour-
hood of jhils. Tabanus is found up to a distance of 1/4 of a mile
around such jhils.
(iii) A large area in Multan district in which there is good grazing ; this
statement is made on general evidence only ; the boundaries of the
area cannot be defined, but it appears to compose a great part of
the central portion of the unirrigated desert which lies between the
railway from Multan to Channu on the north and the Sutlej river
on the south.
2. An important class of surra-zones are. the foothills below hill stations; for
instance on the Kathgodam to Nairn Tal road ; on the Saharanpur to Dehra Dun
road (Mohand pass) ; on the Pathankote to Dalhousie road. Strong suspicion
has fallen on the Rawalpindi to Murree road, which is a particularly important
one for Camel Corps and will be kept under observation this year.
3. Gujrat District.—The danger of parts of the Pabbi Rakh and the south
bank of the Jhelum river of which much evidence has accumulated has been
shown by the finding of Tabanus. The river bank is probably more dangerous
than the rakh.
4. Jhelum Cantonments.—Tabanus found in camel lines as late as 3rd
October 1908.
5. Kohat.—Camels sent to graze during the surra season at Kote are practi-
cally free from danger, according to a mass of evidence.
6. Mianwali District.—The " Kachee" or strip of land running along the
east bank of the Indus has a reputation for surra ; the dangerous zone is pro-
bably bounded on its east side by the natural "band " which marks the begin-
ning of the desert.
7. Officers report the presence of the fly in Shabkadar, Peshawar district,
where there is said to be much standing water; and Rakh Mirdad in Montgo-
mery district.
8. Outbreak of surra in horses proved at Chak Ramdar, Shahpur district
this year.