St. Landry democrat., 1890-10-11

The Vickedness of the Mesquite.
There is an amusing descrI otlon IN
Chambers Journal Of the wills Of the mos
quito, AS studied IN India.
HIS NATURAL INTELLIGENCE.
Naturally intelligent the mosquito &C
Quires at al early age an exhaustive
knowledge of the anatomy Of man. display
ing an intimacy with tie spots where the
cuticle is thinnest which does credit tn
mosquito methods of tuition. When be
finds his yicrim asleep he can exercise his
trained instincts at leisure, and deVoteS
his attention to the elrs, neck Or knucEIrS,
If the fore part of your wrist chance to De
exposed he shows great partialty for thRt
tender locality but be is not exactug
Whilst YOU are awake he exhibits the un-
obtrusive side Of his character. ard prefers
to pasture on your ankles. 10 DO tAIS hr
must of course penetrate your SOCK ana
here again you discover hcw thoroughly
he has been prepared by education for his
career He doesn't waste time over
worsted: he has been tau Ught th"t It's thick
| ness exceeds the length OF his sharp pro-
| boscis, and he passes that fabric LuGniy
by, to browse upon ankles proteCted Only
| by thin cotton or silk; they offer 10 OBJ
| stacle worth mentioning, and he knows IT,
THE ToOTHsOME MORSEL.
In taste the mosquito is dainty and dis
| eliminating. He despi-es d black man.
| aud turns up his ptoboscis at a tough,
sun dried old Anglo Indian. The meal
that rejoiees lis heart is that to be drawn
| from the veins of g tender young Brii"n
! fresh out from home, and for this victim
| he has al unerring eye. So marked /
| this epicurean preference that Il you SIT
mex to a rics rosy checked boy at the DIN
ner table. you Hll! De utterly ignored by
the mosquitoes, in his favor. They won
pay the slightest attention 10 you while
the new arrivs! is there but this does lot
make you jealous.
FERDING TIME
His appetite is gigantic, for he is a.
| stomach. Watch him while ie Is 1eeulng
ON somebody else-ard YOU marvel n
his extraordinary elasticity and power oi
accommodation Having waited until hi
victims closed eyes betokTD s)umber, be
ceases the song be las been singing
thoughtfully 10 himself. and drops, softly
a. Il floss of thistle down, upon THIS spot o
his choice. He folds his ganzy wings, un
furIs his pToboscis, strokes the creases ou
Of it, gives it a flourish Or TWO, anc
plunges il into the ep'dermis. At first M
stands on all eight legs, absorbed in hi'
repast but presently, the first sharp edg'
of hunger dulled, he begins 10 show sign
of enjoyment. Raising his hindmost pal
of legs, he works them st'ttly up ant
down, as though to aid by this pump
handle action the process Of suction; hi
body, no thicker than q siken thread hr1
he alighted, begins TO take decided Shape
and the black and gray bands which adorl
HIM show up distinctly. Steadily he con
tnues to increase in bulk uniformly from
end to end pinky hue sutfuses hi
whole being, and he seems TO blush al
over with delight. By and by the hind
most legs cease pumping and resume thei
proper office the distended body sink
down as though the slender limbs could NJ
longer support its weight. The mosquito
has Finished in ether words, be is as full
as he can hold. H rolls up his proboscis
and the imaginative spectator hears Iii
microscopic sigh of repletion be feels hi
now portly form all over with his legs
Just to make sure that he can't hold an
lnore, spreads his wings and sails heavil
away to digest his meal.