The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-09-24
BABIES ADRIFT IN A BOAT.
BY OLIVE THORNE.

cruel that sounds, and what a hard
hearted little wretch that mother woult
seem to us if that one thing was an VIZ
knew about her. But the truth is
strange as it may appear-that it's the
very safest place she can find for the
little ones.
Iwant to tell you about her. You
must know that Madam Culex Pipiens-
for that's her droll name-well knows
that she will never live to see her own
children. And she knows besides that
they won't be bit like herself; but will
be little, wiggling water-babies, and will
die if they can't live in the water. So,
like careful mamma, she goes down to
the water, sets atloat ever SO many snug
little cradles-each one with baby
nicely wrapped up inside-and CLUES
them all into sort of boat, which can
neither be sunk nor upset. Then she feels
that her duty is done, and she goes off to
| die.
What becomes of the babies in the
boat? They are no helpless little things,
like the babies you know about. They
are all able to take care of themselves.
So in a few days each infant pushes
open a sort of round trap-door in the
bottom of its cradle-which, by the way,
some people call an egg-and slips out
into the water. Droll baby it is, too. 1t
has long body, with a round, fiat head
and brown eyes at one end, and a forkcd
tail at the other. 1t is, besides, SO trans
parent that you can see what is inside OF
it as well as what is outside.
He is II knowing little fellow, and, find
ing himself comfortably situated in his
watcry home, proceeds at once to eat and
grow, darting about every way, and al
most wiggling his queer little body out
of its skin. He's hardly ever still for a
moment
OF course he grows very fast, and very
soon his baby clothes are too tight for
him; so, having no nurse to dress him,
he Just throws off that suit and another
one comes. SO he goes on for a
while, the gayest baby you ever saw.
But this life, though very pleasant, can't
last forever, you know. There comes a
day when he throws off an overgrown
suit and finds himself in different sort
of dress 1t is tight over the mouth, SO
that he can't eat his body is shortened
up and his tail curled around toward his
head.
You needn't feel sorry for him, though,
| He is changed himself He don't want
to eat, and he has utterly outgrown wrig
Cling about in the water, and wonderful
things happen to him yet. To begin
with, he floats on the top of the water,
and before long the tight suit splits open
at the top, and out peeps lovely head.
1t is entirely different from the baby
heads, having brilliant large eyes, some
times of the most beautiful green color,
covered with kind of network, and a
pair of gorgeous plumes.
Gradually he draws himself further
out of his old suit, which rests on the
water like boat Next after the head
come two delicate legs, then a pair of
gauzy wings, covered with exquisitely.
colored scales, which, by the way, cover
the whole body and legs, SO that he is
really dressed in the most magnificent
suit you can imagine-so splendid that
| even the Dig DooK-nanUIo e",,- -L--. .ho
"Arabian Nights" and, in fact, use all
their biggest words in describing him.
| When he is wholly drawn out OF his
old, discarded suit and stands up in it, as
he does, you can see him fully. He has
delicate, fairy-like body and the most
graceful legs and wings. And now, too
he is just like his mamma, and ready, as
soon as he gets used to the air and his
new dress, to float off on his wings, with
merry song, light and airy as any fairy
you ever dreamed of.
These beautiful creatures were not
made merely to be looked at and ad
mired They have duties to perform
and are well equipped for the purpose
| AS soon as they are well used to theil
new life each one starts off on his own
business, for they are no shirks, car
tell you.
The tools they have are all nicely ar
ranged in a snug little case at theil
heads, and they consist of six beautiful
sharp swords and lancets; and-and-
dear me! I'm afraid you will not like
them SO well when tell you that theil
business is sort of surgical operation
to draw blood.
What for? I'm sure l don't know
but to do that one thing the whole family
were made and armed, and well do they
fulfill the end of their creation. They're
not very particular where they get
it-whether from man or beast; bu
blood they must have.
And now I've gone SO far, I'm forced
to tell you that this beautiful little
mother, with her cunning little boat
cradles and her merry babies, has an
other name which you know better thar
the one the long-word makers gave her
In fact, perhaps you have guessed befor'
now. Her name is Mosquito.
You can't see much to admire in
MOSQUITO and must admit it don't lool
very pretty humping its head agains
your mosquito bars and singing its blood
thirsty song in your ears. But l hav
only told you the exact truth, and if yo,
! will look at one through microscope
good one-you can see it all for YOU
. self.
Now have told yon about the won
derful history of the mosquito and it
beautiful dress. must tell you some Q
its naughty pranks, and you can see,
you didn't know it before, that beaut
/ does not always 60 with good behavior
|, Of course, you already know that in som
/ parts of our own country their fondnes
! for using their beautiful instrument
! obliges us to put bars in our windows an
over our beds; but in some parts OF Ru
6 sia they are even more fierce. Traveller
n say that no gloves or clothes, howev'
i thick, will keep them out. And
e warmer countries their feats are sti
e more wonderful. They fairly drive u
inhabitants of the land. For there's o.