Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-06-26

MOSQUITOES This is subject of feeling
interest to ALL name at the sound ot,which
the interest instantly awak ems tosieep nomore,
at least while the dreaded song is ;hummed.-
The family Of the mosquito is a large one, and
his relatives numerous if not respectable
According to some, authorities, the mosquito is
the ''plague Of flies sent on the Egyptians.
He is near relative Of the great (Cuzcr PI-
piens, and they ranee from Lapland to the equa-
tor The hum of the mosquito, Its muir
mering small trumpet''-as Spencer calls it, is
too we'll known to require illustration, being
more familiar than agreeable and IS produced,
it is stated, by the vibration Of the wings OF
the insect at the rate of three thousand times
minute! It "startles the still ear of night"
to many luckless wretch, who aims with
spiteful spleen blow at'the tiny invader, that
would annihilate rat, only to find as he COM
poses himself to slumber, the dreaded hum
again; until Wearied out, the sleep-seeker,
covers himself head and ears with the sheet,
hoping thus to protect himself from the as
saults of the insdious and persevering tor
mentor Observers Of mosquitoes habits tell
US it is the female only which pursues us tor
our blood, the male being innocent of sanguln,
airy tastes,-a very unfeminine trait. Baron
Humboldt states that on the banks OF the Oro-
noco there are three varieties of mosquitoes
Some sting all day from early noon until about
| FIVE p. m., when they retire, and second set
mount guard. These serve their hour, and are
followed by the night mosquitoes, the most
savage of the race. A brief interval elapses
between the ''relefs, which is the only re-
lief the traveller obtains. Mosquitoes are compa-
ratively scarce at up country residences; at least
such has been the experience OF the visitor. =
They seem to prefer the atmosphere Of cities.
| AS an Offset to them, country people are .blest
| with sticks. The mosquito is raised in the
! water from the egg of the parent, and alter
being Matched, spends few weeks as sort OF
| fsh-''a very odd fsh'-swimming about in a
queer sort of way with his head down and the
opposit extremity upwards, through which he
| breathes. Thousands may be seen in a hogshead
| of stagnant water in summer. On disturbing
the element which is their developing agent,
they wriggle away oddly, but vlvaclousIy, but
are soon compelled to return to the surface,
out of which they thurst not their heads, but
by curious inversion of nature their tails, for
| air.
| Their habits after leaving this state are too
we'll kno9n to require description, and are by
universal consent noted as bad. The useful
ness of the mosquito is doubted by many plous
persons, the temptation to swear during their
visits being greater than ordinary. Mosquito
nets or bars are, perhaps, the most efcctual
bar to their visits outside of which their
song is quite as sweet to the listener as if
heard in closer proximity. And as conscious
security will very greatly diminish the terror OF
lions roar, so will sweet sleep come to the
weary, even in the presence OF the mosquito,
| if he is kept at a convenient distance. This,
though not all that is known about mosquitoes,
is quite enough for the present. a.