Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1867-10-11

A writer in the Scientific American tells
how mosquito looks, what he does for .
living, and how he is produced. It Is An
interesting sketch, but by no means COM
pensation for the mosquito bite, OF the
small horror Of his bugle horn.' The
writer says:
II is unscientifc to say mosquitoes bite,
for they have no teeth and they have no
need Of teeth to seine upon or prepare
their food, for they are dainty, and take
food only in the liquid form-epoon vict-
uals. They are chivalic race, and at.
tack their enemies with sort ef sword or
lance no doubt they consider biting and
gouging quite vulgar. The lance Of the
misquito is very beautiful and perfect
piece Of work; il is smoother than bur.
nished steel, and its poi il 50 fine and
perfect that the most powerful microscope
does not discover flaw in il. AZ the
most delicate cambric needle Il y ~ Z
crowbar, SO is the mosquitoes iance g The
best Damascus blade. The lance il worn
in scabbard or sheath. which in every
respect is worthy of it il is often Orna-
mented with plumes. Man carries his
sword at his side, and the mosquito on Eis
head. The latter arrangement has mani-
fest and wonderful advantages-the weap-
on is always engarde, and does not impede
locomotion by getting entangled with the
legs.
The lance and its sheaf being on the
head, and being somewhat flexible, is often
called a probocis. This view Of the case
is strengthened by the fact that the scab-
bard is a suction pipe ,hreseh which the
mosquito drinks ito food. AZ Moses struck
the rock with his stsE, - ~ nd6Sd6iso
with thrust Of his lance pierces the foun-
tain, and the nectar gushing into the scab'
bard, finds It's way to the more sensitive
7, and vital parts.
:, Let US inquire about the earliest begin
: ming of the mosquito; lei us take him il
! the egg. The mother mosquito has no
!, tions of naval architecture, and out of tn
egg she lays she constructs well modele'
boat, with elevated PROV and stern an,
we'll proportioDed midship. For the boa
: she employs two hundred and fifty 10 ,hre,
hundred and fifty eggs, building it ur
piecemeal, somewha: after the manner d
men, binding together the individual egee
by means Of q powerful waterproof CO.
ment, into substantial and complete struc-
ture. The boat is built on the water, and
when completed she is confidently aban-
doned to the mercy of the wind and the
wave. Thanks TO the waterproof cement,
she can neither be broken, wetted, nue
: sunk she is safer than if she were COP
per bottomed. The little craft, it must -
remembered, is freighaed with life-eaeh
of its 25O or $50 little state rooms has ID
tenant. After few days cruising ~
occupants Of the shells come forth, and IL
ship is destroyed. But those little cree-
: lures are surely not mosquitoes they -.
pear more like fish or serpents, or little
. dragons. On closer examination they
prove to be what every one knows undsg
the name of wigslers; !" they are the
larva Of the mosquito. They wiggls
Q about in the well-known way for weed
IS or two, and after changing their skins twe
% or three times. they assume quite rev
'e form and movement. They are now whsl
l. the boys call tumblers," and are III
al pup@ of the mosquito. In about week
n' if the weather, &c, be favorable, soas'
g thing of the form Of the nosquiso may b
y seen through the transparent skin Of tn
. tumbler. Shortly the prisoner sscapeI
" from his confinement n = full hedgsd -
'e bold mosquito, and soars away i ssagul
Of food and pleasure. ~