Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-11-13
About Mosquitoes.

about the Mississippi River is called the
"Gallinipper' The boatmen say that it
is as large as a goose, and that it carries a
brickbat under its wing, on which to
sharpen its bill.
| Cattle are not troubled by mosquitoes,
but horses suffer terribly. The lumber
men drive them away from their camps
by making low fires of chips and damp
grass. In the GOODNESS of the evening,
the smoke from these "smudge" fires hangs
heavily over the ground, and affords con-
siderable protection, which even animals
seek.
On still night such camp is very pic
turesque. The log hut by the river: the
tall, somber pines, towering above dense
masses of naples and ragged outlines of
oaks; the struggling fires, that thrust out
tongues of fitful flame, and reek with
thick smoke, which spreads upon the
ground, or laZily rolls over the roof; the
long, level lines of blue haze which the
smoke finally draws against the foliage
the solemn stiffness resting over all,
broken only by the hoot of the owl, the
wall of the whip-poor-will, or the tinkle
OF the ripping stream, while the bright
eyed, climbing stars replace the waning
| lWlllght-cOmpose scene too lovely to
be spoiled by millions of myriads of
swarming, bowling, raving, hungry mos
quitoes.
The mosquito is an insect of the water.
Early on summer morning, even before
sunrise, the mother may be found laying
her eggs. They must be placed where
there is warmth enough to hatch them,
and where the young creatures which
pop out may go at once into the water.
SO the careful insect, like the mother Of
| Moses, puts her children into little ark,
which she leaves on the surface of the
pool. The ark she makes OF the eggs
themselves. She rests on bit of grass,
or leaf, at the top of the water, holding
to it by the first and second pair of legs
The third pair she crosses behind her like
the letter X. The first egg is caught and
held between the legs Then another and
another are fastened to the first by the
gum which covers them, until fifteen or
twenty have been set up side by side, as
one might set up number of ears of
corn, or like the seeds in the head of a
suntlower.
When the mass becomes too heavy for
her support, she lowers it upon the
water, but still holds it by putting her
feet on either side, until two hundred and
fifty or three hundred eggs have been laid.
Those at the sides are higher than those
in the middle, while those at the ends are
raised somewhat more. Thus the whole
mass is shaped much like canoe. These
tiny black boats, about as large as grains
of wheat, may be found floating upon the
top of any tub, or barrel of water, which
has stood for some days. Nothing can
harm them, if some other creature does
not eat them up. The storm may dash
them against the shore, but they are too
| light to break; torrent of water may be
poured upon them, and they come out of
the bubbling foam as buoyant as air, and
as dry as duck; the water may freeze
solid, but their life is not destroyed.
In few days-three are usually
enough, if warm-the eggs hatch, and
each sends wriggler down into the
| The little fellow swims about, and pres
emily hangs himself by his tail to the sur
face. If disturbed, he goes down out of
way, but soon comes back, and rests, as
before, with the tip of his tail out of
water He does this, just as other swim
mers do, because he would keep his nose
above water. The odd thing about it is,
that his nose, Or, at least, the tube which
he breathes through, is not on his face,
but at the tip of his tail. 1t ends in a
few hairs, which spread in a star-form,
and are oiled, to repel water. Thus the
tail is both nose to breathe through, and
buoy to keep itself at the top of the water.
He lives upon the impurities of the water,
and so serves very useful purpose
in the world
By and by, he changes into pupa, and
then he turns himself over, end for end.
He did breathe through his tall now he
breathes through his ears, or a pair of
tubes which look like ears, and are thrust
up, just little, out of the water. His
tail is now like the tail of a fish, and by
it he can move himself through the water
as he pleases. He remains thus about
fifteen days, and then takes a new form,
exchanging his home in the water for q
life IN the air.
When the warm sun shines on the
water, the change comes. The pupa rises
to the surface, and thrusts out its head
and shoulders. The cover bursts, and the
plumed head appears, followed by the
shoulders and the tilmy wings. Now is
the time Of danger. If an unlucky puff OF
air sweep the water, over goes our sailor
his wings are wet, and his voyage lost
just as he is ready to come into port His
old garment lies upon the water. 1t is his
life boat His body is the mast, and bis
drying wings are the sails Now his
slender legs are dry, and with them he
feels for the surface of the pool. He lifts
himself free from his castoff coat, rests
an instant on the water, and then leaps
into the air, singing, singing mosquito
i But all the mosquitoes do not sting
the males wear q pair of plumes upOr
their heads, and spend their days in 6
ceaseless dance in the sunbeams Those
that bite are the females. One gently
drops on your neck or hand, with foot
step so light that you feel it not; she
looks about for a moment, hesitating as
to where she will begin to bore. Now
she ha. found the place, and her needle
tongue goes down into the skin. Now
you feel the prick, and now you may see
her cheek heave as she pumps up the rec
fluid. No speculatOr, boring for OIL ever
felt happier over flowing well, than oul
borer over the flowing fountain which she
has tapped. Now her abdomen expands
more and more, until it seems she will
burst. At last she has had enough-too
much, in fact, for her greed will cost hel
life. She draws up the rod, and heavily
flies away. Her light wings can scarcely
bear the increased burden. She will die
of surfeit.-Cectrs Book Of Insects.
ADDITIONAL reports from Minnesota
Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kan
sas and Ohio confirm the estimated fall
ing off in the Irish potato crop in those
States, which in 1870 produced over
100000 bushels. The loss at the giver
rate world arrrepate over IA 000 0Of