St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-31
HIS POWkR Is GREAT.
Tactics, Music and All Round
Cussedness of the AngelenO
Skeeter

Tactics, Music and All Round
Cussedness of the AngelenO
Skeeter.
1.-The California mosquito" said the
Angeleno zoologiSt to a reporter of the
Los Angeles Tribune, lis affected with
insomnia, and, strange as it may be to
medical science, he imparts similar
disorder to the haman race. | have
known one of these insects to give
whole family Sleeplessness enough to
drive them into Mysteries. There are
several different species of the culex
mosquito, but they all possess the
characteristics of industry, insomnia,
persistence and strict attention to bust
ness. The mosquito of Southern Cali
fornla is like an elephant i'm having q
prOb0SciS through which he takes his
nourlshment. L had rather Sleep in the
same room with an elephant, however,
than with mosquito. This proboscis
is as penetrating at its business end
as the singer of humble bee and
gets III its work on the human cutice
with far less provOcatiOn. The
subject OF this sketch comes into
being fully equipped for contact with
an unfriendly world. The larves are
and other uncovered pools of water.
The very second after wings are given
these insects they start a career of
blood, and they spend their brief lives
adding Scalps to their belts after the
hideouS fashion of the untrammeled and
biOOdthirsty Apache. They have great
taste for music, but, like the Chinese
orchestra, they grow so fond of one par
ticular tune that they cannot be per
Suaded to drop note of it or introduce
variation. 1t must be confessed that
after one has patiently heard the mo-
notOnOuS hymn of the culeX for four
hours, he can't help but sigh for a bar
from the most tireSome opera ever put
on the boards. 1t is useless, however,
to kick, to hiss or guy the musician.
he keeps right on according to pro-
gramme, and seems to be absolutely in
different to the effect on the audience.
The mosquito enters your house like
thief in the night. He keeps a dis
Greet silence and eludeS the most scrut-
iniZing search until the lights are all
eXtinguiShed and the weary citizen
drops his head upon his pillow ready to
enjoy the rest his days work has
earned. Scarcely the first wink of the
first doZe has begun until Mr.. Mosquito
starts out on q Serenade.
The AngelenO waits with an uplfted
hand until the strategic moment has
seemed to arrive. A heavy hand falls
across the exposed cheek, and tho
mosquito is sileneed. Silenced. but not
convinced, for few seconds later he
starts anew on the same old song, and
again the weary AngelenO bideS his
time and again spots the same physiog-
nOmy without avail. An hour or so Of
this exciting sport finds the mosquito
still fresh and forcing the fight The
other party by this time is unfit for
membership of the most liberal of
churches. and if he would give full and
free vent to his feelings would fairly
glow with sulphurc flame.
'He rises, lights the gas, picks up q
paper, carefully folds it into convenient
shape for use as weapon, and starts OH
hunt for his willy antagonist. Then
comes to the fore the eOnSummate skill
OF the little mosquito. He stands on
vantage ground and cOOlly sees his an
gered enemy kill one or two harmless
friends, who are hugging the walls and
have no intention of going into business.
They are retired, having accumulated
enough from fOraging and plumber
to carry them safely to the evening of
life. Satisfied that the pest is removed,
and that sleep is now assured, the An
geleno again drops between the sheets.
Every experienced person knows what
follows. The busy mosquito jumps right
into his face before he has closed his
eyes, and, singing one bar of his mOnOt-
OnOuS song, darts 10 the other end of tho
room. The poor man on the bed is in de
Spair, but he lies in wait for half an hour
and, hearing no other note of battle,
peacefully drops into semi-unconsciOuS-
nd i'm NI.It
would be his, but the mosquito knows
exactly when oblivion begins. lie tunes
his little harp, and at precisely the OD-
perfume moment strikes the tympanum
of his victims ear with the same Old
melody, once more announcing that he
is Macbeth, whose especial business it is
to murder sleep. He is a success in his
business.
Nov. the AngelenO decides upon
new line of defense, and swaddling his
face with the sheet bids defiance to the
tormentor. The mosquito is prepared
for this. He makes one more tour of
observation, after which he posts him
self on the topmOSt ornament of the
bedstead, and quietly whets his appe-
ute and waits for developments. In less
than thirty minutes the exhausted vic
tim has become the musician, with his
nose as the bugle. The mosquito exc
cuteS clOg-dance on his pinnacle of
observations; swings lazily down upon
the pillow; creepS stealthily toward the
exposed nasal protuberance; squares
himself for action; fans the slumberer
with his wings; takes hop, skip and
jump into the arena; bOres TO the re-
quircd depth to strike the red artesan
flow, and calmly pumps his reservoir
full. Satiated, he withdraws to the
most remote corner to quietly fix him.
self for the heXt days rencOunter."