The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-08-26
The Mosquito.

Ihere is another little lady whom you
have led and RECALLED on your own ex-
PenSe' and very unwillingly withal. She
Is Ny no means modest, but steals unbid-
den INTO your room. She generally her
anus per coming with song that is any,
thlhg but soothing, and she is so per
severing that even the strong bars
Win which you protect yourself are not
PROOF against her prosecutions. You
nave nave all, no doubt, at times exercised
NIUE strategy with the mosquito, and
When the little torment was fairly settled,
maze dexterous movement of the hand,
anu' with slap, exclaimed: 'Tve got
him this time" No such thing. Won
never got him in your life, but probably
nave often succeeded in crushing her,
1or the male mosquito is considerable
gentleman. In lieu of the piercer of the
female he is decorated with beautiful
plume, and has such love of home
that he seldom sallies forth from the
swamp where he was born. but contents
himself with vegetable rather than ami
mai Juices. Il do not wish to make any
reflections, but in the insect world it is
Always the females which sting.)
but to its history. The mosquito was
not born a winged fly, and if YOU will
examine a tub of rain water that has
stood uncovered and unmolested for a
week or more during any of the summer
months, you may see it in all it's various
forms. You may see the female support
ing herself on the water with her four
front legs and crossing the hinder pair
iikethe letter X. In this support made by
the legs she is depositing her eggs, which
are Just perceptible to the naked eve.
BY tie aid of lens they are seen to be
glueo together so as to form a lit
tie bat, which knocks about on the
watertill the young hatch. And what
hatchel from them? Why, these very
Wrlgglcs which jerk away every time
you touh the water. They are destined
to ivei certain period in this watery
element,and can not take wing and Join
their par;nt in her war song and house
invasions, till after throwing off the skin
a few tines, they have become full
grown, AM then with another mott have
changed towhat are technically known
as pup9. N this state they are no
longer able II do anything but patiently
float with thir bumped backs on the
surface OF thu water or to swim by Jerks
of the tail benath after the fashion of
a shrimp or lo,ster. At the end of three
days they streth out on the surface like
q boat, the mosquito bursts the skin and
gradually works out of the shell which
supports her during the critical OPERA
ton. She rests with her long LEGS on
the surface fora few moments, till the
wings have expanded and become dry,
and then flies away to fulfill her mission,
a totally ditleren animal to what she was
a few hours befoie, and no more able to
live in the water as she did then than are
any of us. Is it not wonderful that such
profound changes should take place in so
short time? Even the bird has to learn
to use its wings by practice and slow de-
gree, but the mosquito uses her newly
acquired organs of flight to perfection
from the start
In this Transformation from an aquatic
to an aerial life the mosquito has first
breathed from a long tube near the tail,
next, through two tubular horns near
the head and, finally, through a series
of spiracles along the whole body.
From calculation made by Baron La
tour the mosquito in flight vibrates its
wings 5000 times a minute-a rapidity
of motion hardly conceivable.
Those who have travelled in summer
on the lower Mississippi or the North
west have experienced the torment which
these frail flies can intlict. At times they
drive every one from the boat, and trains
can sometimes only be run with comfort
on the Northern Pacific by keeping a
smudge in the baggage car and the doors
of all the coaches open to the fumes.
The braVest man on the fieetest horse
dares not cross some of the more rank
and dark prairies of northern Minnesota
in June. 1t is well known that Father
De Smith once very nearly died of mos
quito bites, his flesh being so swollen
around the arms and legs that it literally
burst.
Mosquitoes have caused the rout of
armies and the desertion of cities, and |
would counsel all who desire to learn
how the hum of an insignificant gnat may
inspire more terror than the roar of lion,
to consult Kirby and Spencer history of
the former.
There are many species of the mos
quito, all differing somewhat in habit
and season of appearance, and doubtless
also, in mode of development, which, in
fact, has been studied in but few. They
occur everywhere, whether in the torrid
or the arctic zone, and are nowhere
more numerous or tormenting than in
Lapland
Both the fly and mosquito are great
scavengers in infancy, the one purifying
the air we breath, the other the water we
drink. They perform, in this way, an
indirect service to man which few, per-
haps, appreciate, and which somewhat
atones for the bad habits in maturity
Prof. c. T. Riley
"A party of ladies and gentlemen
who were recreating in the woods at
Lake George recently sat down under a
huge ledge of rocks for rest. Present
ly they heard rustling among the
leaves and bushes over their heads, and
looking up saw huge black bear Old
bruin evidently did not know of their
presence, for he rolled down the declev-
ity into their midst. Upon learning that
he had intruded, the bear suddenly
picked himself up and ran off at rapid
speed. In the meantime the ladies had
taken flight, and on taking an inventory
il was found that Miss PAYNE Of Rrook