The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-17

selves. Mr. Weeks, who seems 10 hold that
it would be Questionable policy TO ATTEMPT
70 destroy TIE mosq tito. it being in his
opinion scavsnger, s Iys that otter euImies
may be relied upln to do that wor /. He sug-
gests that to banish the mosquito the best
plan is to drain mead rvs. bJgs and swarnps,
10 fill up stignant pools. and level rain
holding nollows contiguous to dwellings
He also says that one remedy very simple
and near at hand is the preservation OF in
sectivorous birds. And he thinks that
little trouble taken to prevent bad boys
from killing birds il the neighb )rhood Of
towns would bs likely to go further than ex-
penslve and impractical attempts To DIS
seminate the dragoa fly, for the scope of his
Investigations included hol Use flies.
He suggests, by the way, lat very
effective destroyer of the domestic fly Is the
unappreciated insect commonly known as
the Thousand legs" OF this creature he
says that during tae day it retires to the
darkness of lealSy basins aud cellars, but at
night comes forth, and traverslng the
entire house, stations itself head downward
upon the wall in the kitchen or wherever
flies are abundant. aud slays every one
within rescn. If unable t. devour all of
its captures, it allows the first to drop on
tns floor afte. receiving a fatal wound and
proceeds to the others. He admits, however,
that in spite of its usefulness he does not
encourage tdis insect in mis- house, prefer
ring a whtewashei cellar with dry, cement
bottom and sanitary plu nbing to its SER
vices The bite Of t1is little creature is said,
upon the authority of Latreilie, to be
poisonous.
Mr.. Weeks does not believe it to be posi-
BILE to breed dragon flies, at any rate to
such a point as to be efficacious. If the
question is raised why it is not as easy to
breed dragon flies as it is fish, silkworms,
bees, etc, the. question may be an
swered by the further query why is it not
as easy to produce herds of tigers, hons,
and other sucn quadrupsds as 1t is to pro-
dnce horses, cattle and sheep.
Bees may be reared in swarms from year
to year, but it is doubtful whether hornets
or yellow jackets, both destroyers of flies.
could be. The Australian coccinella, used
to devour the plant lice on the Florida
orange tree.; requires no artificial aid IN
rearing. Mr., Rentenmuller holds the plea,
raised in behalf of the mosquito, that in is
larval sage it destroys the germs of the
miasma, to be futile and misleading. The
germs OF miasrna are very indefi lite organ
isms, and there are method of exteru1inat-
ing them much more effective than the
work expected from mosquitoes; these are
drainage, clearance and sunlight.
Among the natural remedies against
mosquitoes to be relied upon are the SER
vices of i,h and water fowls. Fish can be
introduced into our public lakes, and
aquatic birds may be adopted for the pur-
pose of destroying mosquito larvae near
houses and in ponds il well-eleared fields.
This naturalist says that he has often OBJ
| served how i1frequent the Larvae are in
| Central park lakes, and he ascrlbes their
absence to the fish and the water fowls.
Certain artificial remedies are also relied
| upon. The Use of coal oil in swampS, by
J odorizing the air and fiDating upon the
| surface of the water itself, is a very practi-
| cal and energ etc remedy. 1t destroys the
mosquito in its early stages. The use of
| lanterns, SC. arranged as TO attract and de-
| Stroy the mosquitoes, Is another remedy.
| The mosquitoes are attracted to them. and
are DESTROYED in the cans of coal oil or kero-
| sene or other similar mixtures which may
| be used. They should be placed around
houses, hotels and in marshes. The expense
| and trouble of management are small, as
they are only used during a few months of
| the year. Indeed, almost every method
| imaginable of catching and destroying the
| insect has been sugges ed, except the very
| simple one of pu ting salt on its tail and
| clubbing it to death.
] These scientific authorities ara not above
4 offering suggestions for the relief of persons
| whose situation makes them liable to suffer
| from the bites of these insect tormentors,
and who cannot wait for the propagation of
| the dragon fly. They recommend lemon
| juice, vinegar, oil of peppermint aud oil of
pennyroyal. A very strong infusion of
| roots of trittcan repens is sue cessfully used
| at Simbirsk as preventive against mos
| quitoes, and a weak solution Of quasi
| wood boiled in water has also been recon-
meuded.
One interesting point is made by Mrs.
| Aaron. The public does not understand
| rightly the subject of the migration of
| mosquitoes, she says. The idea prevails at
| the seaside IT, at land breeze brin2s SwarmS
| of mosquitoes from far inland. This notion
| is based on the supposition that mosquitoes
are capable of long sustained flight, which
is an error. The prevalence of the mosqui-
| toes during the land breeze is thus ex-
| planned. 1t is usually only during the lulls
| in the winds that the mosquito can fly. On
| our coast a sea breezs means stiff breeze.
| In such a wind the mosquitoes usually con-
| ceal themselves IN the trees and large
| bushes, which on the seacoast are battered
down to fat top by the wind, but if the
| wind dies down the II Gsquitoes, which the
| unsuspecting occupants of seaside resorts
| suppose to be miles away, come out from
their hiding place, and the females, the only
ones that do the biting, begin their work of
| devastation.
| Among the accusations brought against
| the mosquito must not be nitted one by J.
! w. Clarke that mosquitoes interfere with
the arts and manufactures, that they ruin
| paper puiAs DuG perhaps G1e mesO sui :
prising charge made against them is that of
| c. H Murray, who states that he has
observed the mosquito to light upon baby
| trout aud literally pump out their brains
before they could escape.
Such is the very interesting discussion
which the public owes to DR.. Lambsrn's in
designations and public .irit and the ability
of the authors Of this book. The investi-
cations have, of course. a great humanita-
Ran and scientific Interest The question is
also one of some commercial Importance. A
| syndicate which should abolish mosquitoes
and reclaim the lands which, even In the
| suburbs of New York this little insect
renders deserts, would, no doubt, be a great
| financial success
| The Novelty of the Day