American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-10-10
BABIES ADRIFT IN A BOAT.
by OLIVE THORNE,

AND their mother herself put theI
there and left them to their fate Ho,
cruel that sounds, and what hard
hearted little wretch that mother woul
seem to us if that one thing was all W
knew about her. But the truth is
strange as it may appear-that it's tn
very safest place she can find for tn
little ones.
want to tell you about her. Yo,
must know that Madam Culex Pipiens-
for that's her droll name-well know
that she will never live to see her owl
children. And she knows besides tina
they won't be a bit like herself; but will
be little, wiggling water-babies, and will
die if they can't live in the water So
like a careful mamma, she goes down t.
the water, sets at1oat ever SO many snus
little cradles-each one with baby
nicely wrapped up inside-and glue:
them all into a sort of boat, which caI
neither be sunk nor upset. Then she feel.
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 Il few days each infant pushes
bottom of its cradle-which, by the way
some people call an egg-and slips Out
into the water. Droll baby it is, too. II
has a long body, with round, flat head
and brown eyes at one end, and a forked
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 Il knowing little fellow, and, find
ing himself comfortably situated in his
watery home, proceeds at once to eat and
grow, darting about every way, and al
via
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 a 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 pair of
gauzy wings, covered with eNquisitely-
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 imagine4so splendid that
% 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. us
he does, you can see him fully He has
a 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
IA merry song, light and airy as any fairy
you ever dreamed of.
These beautiful creatures were not
made merely to be looked at and add
and are well equipped for the purpose.
AS soon as they are well used to their
new life each one starts off on his own
business, for they are no shirks, can
tell you.
The tools they have are all nicely ar
ranged in snug little case at their
heads, and they consist of six beautiful
sharp swords and lancets; and-and-
lear me. I'm afraid you will not like
hem SO wcn when l tell you that their
business is sort of surgical operation
o draw blood.
What for? I'm sure l don't know
)ut to do that one thing the whole family |
we're made and armed, and well do they
,ulfill the end of their creation. They're |
lot very particular where they get
whether from man or beast; but |
blood they must have.
And now I've gone so far, I'm forced |
o tell you that this beautiful little |
mother, with her cunning little boat
,radles and her merry babies, has an
,ther name which you know better than
he one the long word makers gave her.
n fact, perhaps you have guessed before
low Her name is Mosquito.
You can't see much to admire in a
mosquito and | must admit it don't look
cry pretty humping its head against
our mosquito bars and singing its blood
hirsty song in your ears. But l have
nly told you the exact truth, and if you
will look at one through IA microscope
good one-you can see 1t all Tor your
elf
Now have told yon about the Won
lerful history of the mosquito and its
beautiful dress. | must tell you some of
Is naughty pranks, and you can see, If
-ou didn't know it before, that beauty
ocs not always 90 with good behavior.
)f course, you already know that in some
arts of our own country their fondness
or using their beautiful instruments
bliges us to put bars i'll our windows ana
ver our beds; but in some parts OF Rus-
ia they are even more fierce. Travellers
ay that no gloves or clothes, however
hick, will keep them out. And IN
GARNER countries their feats are still
lore wonderful They fairly drive The
off the land. For there's one
urious fact about the mosquito. Though
e spent part of his life in the water no
poncr does he get his beautiful dress on
han he fairly hates it. AT any rate, he
ill not fy out far over it. The unfOr-
innate people who live in those coun-
ries, therefore. build their houses out in
he lakes or ponds, on posts which they
ave driven into the ground
There's lust one more thing I've got to
I'll YOU about the family. All this mis-
hief and naughtineSs is done by H"dam
Iosquto-at least, SO say the wise men
he fathers and sons of this singular
amily are most exemplary members OF
Dciety and never draw a drop of blood
i their lives. ! don't know whether its
ecause they're SO very amiable, or be-