The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-10-16
THE MOSQUITO.
How the DImfnutive FIend Lives and
PrOpagatel HIS SPECIES.

countries, to various species of Culex o.
guat. The term should be restricted *
the Culex mosquito but the ordinary
observer will not, of course, pause tC
make fine distinctions, and every gpe.
cies of gnat, troublesome or otherwise
that comes under the popular eye, is
carelessly called a mosquito. The fe-
male gnat or mosquito deposits heI
eggs on the surface of stagnant wate T.
We copy a description of this last act
of her life from Woods Insects at
| Home :"
Placing her front legs on a 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 surface of the water, and crosses the
hind pair so as TO look like the capital
letter X. Sbe 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 a 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
feat on the surface of the water.
These little egg boats are quite plen-
tiful in the summertime, and any num-
Der can be taken for the purpose OF ex-
perimenting. 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 con-
tents of the vessel be poured from
height into the pond the little boats
float at once to the surface like so many
1 &c
proper position.
When the larva is ready to leave the
egg it pushes off the lower end, which
opens like little round trap-door, and
lets the Iarva-populaTly called Wrig
gler"-out into the water. This wig
gler is the oldest little fish imaginable.
It has long body, large head, and
forked tail, and jumps and jerks through
the water with a swift ziz-zag molten.
When it needs to breathe, it comes to
the surface and hangs head downward,
for its respiratory organs terminate IN
pine attached to the last segment of the
body, and, thrusting this above the
water, the air is inhaled through 1t.
TheIarva feeds upon microscopic insects
and particles of vegetation and earthly
matter, and this is of great service In
purifying standing water, which would
otherwise breed malarial diseases. So
the MOSQUITO is not without it's use in
the world. Linn@us long ago showed
that if two barrels of stagnant water be
placed side by side, and one be covered
with gauze and the other left exposed,
the second will soon be full Of WriggIers
and emit no unsavory OdOrs, while the
first, secured from the approach OF mos
quitoes, will shortly become rank and
smell TO heaven"
The wriggler changes its skin three
times in the course of fortnight or
three weeks. It then enters the pupa
state, and is transformed in both shape
and condition. Its body is shortened,
rounded, and bent nearly double. In
this state it eats nothing, and remains
chiefly in repose. It is able to swim,
however, by alternately bending and
Strengthening its body. The respiratory
openings of the air-tuEes are now in the
thorax consequently it rests with the
head upward at the surface OF the water.
Tue skin is, at this stage, so thin that
the various members of the insect can
be seen through it, as they lie loosely
folded together. When the moment
comes for the perfect image to emerge,
the pupa straightens out on the surface
of the water, the case splits along the
back, and the insect swiftly and speed |
iIy draws itself out. It 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 al |
ways sings In its fight, and is ready TO
suck the blood of the first victim IL en- |
counters.
The male gnat, which may be distin- /
guished by its feathered antenn9e, Is in |
offensive. The female alone is armed /
with lancet, and, before she stabs, /
sings about our ears until we are fran |
tic. Her murderous instrument Is COM |
posed of six fine, sharp bristles, inclosed |
in a cylindrical tube, clothed with min |
ute feather-like scales, and terminating |
in a kind of knob. The sting of her |
wound is caused by a poisonous fluid |
which is injecte d through the prObOscis. |
Gnats multiply with great rapidity, and |
several generations are produced In a /
single summer. They are attracted by |
a light, and yet can buzz and stab with |
out any inconvenience in the dark.
The sense of smell is ascribed to them /
by the entOmolOgiss but it seems, |
from ordinary observation, to be ex-
ceedingly blunt. A mosquito will hum,
and hum, and hum around One-well, |
for hours, measuring time by the feel |
ings- and, either from stupidity or
sheer malignity, light here, and light |
the e, every where but on the flesh right |
under its nose, and then go probing
about with its spear in a perfectly i'm
beetle way that is, beyond everything. /
exasperating. No, the insect is dolt
or demon, else it would, guided by an
unerring instinct, dart straight to the |
right spot and suck its fill, and be off /
about its business. Would it but do /
so, its visit would be disarmed of its /
chief terrors. It is their prolonged |
blundering-which may be intentional !
and piece of pure diabolism-by which /
they keep their stinging lance hevering /
over us, like the sword of DamOcles, /
every instant likely to drop and pierce |
us, that makes them such odious and |
intolerable torments. One can bear the |
severest hurt that comes unexpected, |
with a certain degree of courage but /
the Iong-drawn-out horrors of enticipa- !
ton unnerve us, until we writhe In |
despair. There is scarcely in the range /
of human experience a more forcible !
illustration of the impotence of man
than that which single mosquito will
afford him when he lies in slumber.
The puny insect, that may be crushed
TO a shapeless mass with the Ightest
touch, whose organs are so minute as TO
be mainly invisible, fas in its power to
so harass and worry its gigantic enemy, q
whole night through, as to craze him
nearly. What bitter mockery to call
the son of Adam the lord of creation,
when he can be baffied and beaten in a
contest with a mosquito
War Predicted.
Father Hyacinthe and Victor Hugo