The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-10-01
THE MOSQUITO.
n Consideration of this DemOniacRl
Pest of the DOg-Days How the d.
lniuutiVe Fiend Lives and Propa-
menI.

s"ies HIS species Tor Enture GOF-
ment.
The name mosquito is Unfortunately
/ applied, i'm this and some other countries,
to various species of Culer, or gnat. The
term should be restricted to the Cller
Mosquito but the ordinary observer will
not, of course, pause TO make fine diStinc-
tons, and every species of gnat, trouble
some or otherwise, that comes under the
popular eye, is carelessly called mo-
squitO. Gnats, of which there are many
species, are found in all parts of the world,
even in the Arctic regions. The traveller
in Iceland complains of their disagreeable
attentions, and tells OF a certain lake on
the island, on whose banks they swarm
in such dense clouds that neither man nor
beast can retain life many minutes among
them. Horses that have been heedleSsly
brought to the spot have. in frequent in
stances, been quickly bled to death by the
myriad lancets thrust into their veins at
once by these vicious and voraciOus insect
surgeons. In parts of Russia and Lapland
they are so tiger-like in disposition. and
carry such formidable weapons, that scar
cely any protection avails against them.
Their lancets are there turned into swords,
which penetrate the thickest clothing and
intlict the torment of innumerable keen
wounds. In some localities in South
America, especially along the Amazon and
its tributaries. vast regions are rendered un-
inhabitable from the presence of immense
and Unsuitable armies Of gnatS. The
wretched natives of some infested dis
tricts sleep with their bodies covered over
with sand three or four inches deep. and
their hands, which must be left out, swad-
died in bandages.
The female gnat or mosquito deposits her
e.
copy description of this last act Of her
life from Woods "Insects at HOme:"
Placing her front legs on piece of
! floating stick, straw, or anything that will
support her tiny weight, she allows the
middle pair of her legs to rest on the sur
face sfthe water, and crosses the hind pair
so as to look like the capital letter y. She
| then deposits rather long and spindle
shaped egg, and places it upright, with
the base downward in the angle of the y.
Another egg is quickly placed by the side
of the first, and followed by others, all of
which are glued together by cement
which is not affected by water. Guided
| by the crossed legs. the eggs are forced
/ into a bOat-like shape, and are then left to
| float on the surface of the water.
| These little egg-bOats are quite plentiful
in the summer time, and any number can
be taken for the purpose of experimenting.
Their shape very much resembles that of
| the life-bOat now in use, and like the life
boat, the egg-bOat cannot be sunk, and if
capsized rights itself Immediately. Even
| if the contents of vessel be poured from
a height into the pond the little boats
| float at once to the surface like so many
cOrks, and each as it rises assumes its
proper position.
When the the larva is ready to leave the
egg it pushes off the lower end, which
opens like a little round trap-dOOr. and
! lets the larva a-popularly called ''wiggler''
out into the water This wiggler is the
oldest little fish imaginable. 1t has long
body, large head, and a forked tail, and
jumps and jerks through the water with a
! swift Zig-zag motion. When ii needs to
breathe, it comes to the surface and hangs
head downward, for its respiratory or
gans terminate in pipe attached to the
last segment of the body, and. thrusting
this above the water, the air is inhaled
through it. The larva feeds upon micro
scupic insects and particles of vegetation
and earthly matter, and this is of great ser
vice in purifying standing water, which
would otherwise breed malarial diseases.
So the mosquito is not without its use in
the world. Linn8us long ago showed
that if two barrels of stagnant and impure
water be placed side by side, and one be
covered with gauze and the other left eX-
posed, the second will soon be full of wig
glers and emit no unsavOry OdOrs, while
the first, secured from the approach of
me squitos, will shortly become frank and
smell to heaven"
The wiggler changes its skin three times
in the course of fortnight or three weeks.
1t then enters the pupa state, and is trans
formed in both shape and condition. Its
body is shortened, rounded, and bent near
ly double. In this state it eats nothing,
and remains chiefly in repOse. 1t is able
to swim. however, by alternately bending
and Strengthening its body. The respira-
tory openings of the air-tubes are now i'm
the thOraX; consequently it rests with the
head upward at the surface of the water.
The skin is, at this stage. so thin that the
various members of the insect can be seen
through it, as they lie lOsely folded to-
gether. When the moment comes for the
perfectimage to emerge, the pupa straight
ems out on the surface of the water, the
case splits along the back, and the insect
swiftly and speedily draws itself out. 1t
stands for an instant on the now empty
shell, in order to shake out its crumpled
wings and allow the veins to fill and swell:
then it mounts alOft, to the shrill tune it
always sings in its flight, and is ready TO
suck the blood of the first victim it en-
counters.
The male gnat, which may be distin-
guished by its feathered antennG, is inOf
tensive. The female alone is armed with
a lancet, and, before she stabS, sings about
our ears until we are frantic. Her mur-
derOus instrument is composed of six fine,
sharp bristles, inclOsed in a cylindrical
! ft1ha oil min 90 L-a
scales, and terminating in kind of knob.
The sting of her wound is caused by poi
sonous fluid which is injected through the
prOboscis. Gnats multiply with great ra-
pidity, and several generations are pro
duced in q single summer. They are at
tracted by a light, and yet can buzz and
stab without any Inconvenience in the
dark.
The sense of smell is ascribed to them
by the entOmOlogist: but it seems, from
ordinary observation, to be exceedingly
blunt. A mosquito will hum, and hum,
and hum around one-we1l, for hours,
measuring time BY the efeelings-and, either
from stupidity or sheer malignity, light
here, and light there, everywhere but on
the flesh right under its nose, and then go
probing about with its spear in a perfectly
imbecile way that is, beyond everything,
tAdSp ptTdllll8. NJ, IiiC lIcCtJ 10 d uO4t Vi a
lemOn, else it would, guided by an uner-
ring instinct, dart straight to the right spot
and suck its fill, and be off about its busi-
ness. Weuld it but do so, its visit would
be disarmed of its chief terror. Ii is their
prolonged blundering-whichm may be in
territorial and piece of pure diabolism-by
which they keep their singing lance hover
ing over us. like the sword of DamOcles,
every instant likely to drop and pierce us.
that makes them such OdiOus and intOlera-
BILE tOrmcnts. One can bear the seyerest
f hurt that comes unexpected, with GER
tain degree of courage; but the long
drawn-out horrors of anticipation unnervC
us, until we writhe in despair. There !,
scarcely in the range of human experience
| more fOrcible illustration of the impO-
, tence of man than that which a single in
!, truding mosquito will afford him when ht
| lies down to Slumber. The puny insect
/ that may be crushed to a shapeless mas;
, with the lightest touch, whose organs arr
: so minute as to be mainly invisible, has i
; in its power to so harass and worry its gi,
gantic enemy, a whole night through, a;
to craze him nearly. What bitter mock
. ery 10 call the son of Adam the lord O