American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-10-17
4 Good Deal About the Mosquito.

TIE name mosquitoes unfortunately
applied in this and some other countries
to various species of CHtcr or gnat. The
term should he restricted to the CU'cr
-NoSGUftO; but the ordinary observer will
not of course pause to make fine dis
tinctions, and every species of gnat,
troublesome or otherwise, that comes
under the popular eye is carelessly
called q mosquito. 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 i'll 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 instances been
quickly bled to death by the myriad Ian
Gets thrust into their veins at once by
these vicious and voracious insectsur
geons. In parts of Russia and Lapland
they are so tiger-likc in disposition and
carry such formidable weapons that
scarcely any protection avdlls against
them. Their lancets are there turned
into swords, which penetrate the thick
est clothing and infiict the torment of
innumerable keen wounds. In some To-
calities in South America, especially
along the Amazon and its tributaries,
vast regions are rendered uninha bitable
from the presence OF immense and insa-
table armies of gnats. The wretched
natives of some infested districts sleep
with their bodies covered over with sand
three or four inches deep, and their
heads, which must be left out, swaddled
in bandages.
The female gnat or mosquito deposits
her eggs on the surface of stagnant
al tInro nf
last act of her life from Woods 'Ihsects
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 legs to rest on the sur
face of the water, and crosses the hind
pair so as to look like the capital letter
Y. She then deposits a 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 boat-like shape
and are then left to float ON the surface
of the water"
These little egg-boats are quite plenti-
full in the summertime, and any number
can be taken for the purpose of expert
menting. Their shape very much resem-
bles that of the life-boat now in use, and;
like the life boat, the egg-boat cannot be
sunk, and if capsized rights itself imme-
diately. Even if the contents of a vessel
be poured from height into the pond
the little boats float at once to the sur
face like so many corks, and each as it
rises assumes its proper position.
When 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-popularly called wig
gler'-out into the water This wiggler
is the oldest little g." fish, imaginable 1t
has long body, large head and Il
forked tail, and Jumps and jerks through
the water with a swift Zig-Zag motion.
When it needs to breathe it comes to the
surface and hangs head downward, for
its respiratory organs 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 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 its use in the world. Lin
npus long ago showed that if two bar
rels of stagnant and impure water be
placed side by side, and one be covered
with gauze and the other left exposed,
the second will soon be full of wigglers
and emit no unsavory odors. while the
first, secured from the approach of mos
quitoes, will shortly become frank and
smell to heaven"
The wiggler changes its skin three times
in the course of IA tortni ght 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 nearly double. In this state it eats |
and remains chiefly in repose |
1t is able to swim, however, by alternate |
ly bending and Strengthening its body |
The respiratory openings of the air
tubes are now in the thorax; conse-
quently 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, rs they lie closely folded to-
gether- When the moment comes for
the perfect image TO emerge the pupa |
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
Its flight and is ready to suck the blood
of the first victim it encounters.
The male gnat, which may be distin-
guished by its feathered antenna, is inof-
fensive. The female alone is armed
with IA lancet, and, before she stabs, sings
about our ears until we are frantic Her
murderous instrument is composed of
six fine, sharp bristles, inclosed in cyl
ndrical tube, clothed with minute,
feather-like scales, and terminating in a
Kind of knob. The sting of her wound
S caused by a poisonous fluid which is
injected through the proboscis Gnats
with great rapidity, and several
are produced in Il single
summer. They are attracted by a light,
md yet can buzz and stab without any
inconvenience in the dark.
The sense of smell is ascribcd to them
~ the entomologi5t; but it seems from
observation to be exceedingly
blunt. y mosquito will hum, and hum
md hum around one-well for hours,
measuring time by the feclings-and,
,lthcr from stupidity or sheer malignity,
light here, and light there, everyw here
lut on the flesh right under It's nose and
hen go probing about with its spear in Il
imbccilc way that is, beyond
exasperating. No, the insect
5 dolt or a demon, else it would
'uidcd by an uncrring instinct, dart
traight to the right spot and suck its
i'll, and he of about its business. Would
I but do so, its visits would be disarmed
# its chief terror 1t is their prolonged
undering-which may be intentional
nd a piece of pure diabolism-by which
hey keep their singing lance lowering
|