The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-11-18
TROPICAL BLOOD-SUCkERS.
The Garrapata and the Jigger, Two Small
but Formidable Pests.


It is an eternal mystery-to the un'
scientific, at tleast-how all such vermin,
which live apparently on blood, con-
trive to exist under their usual circum-
stances. They do not seem fitted to
prey on other insects. You may OBJ
serve a harvest field actually alive with
feas in southern Europe. In the woods
of the ,Asiatic tropics mostly there is a
leech to every foot of ground. One may
find ones clothes busted with young
garrapatas in Central America as thick
as -four on miller's coat, and one may
kill SO many mosquitoes in rlaugrove
swamp of the far east by clapping
the hands together that one feels the
thickness of their ~ crushed car-
casses. Not one in millions among
these pests ever gets the chance to
taste blood. It is said, indeed, that the
leeches congregate upon path; even
it this be true, the other plaques have
no such instinct. That any quadruped
manages to live in the American trop-,
les is another puzzle tolthose who have
practical acquaintance with the garra.
pata. It has been mentioned how in
Vulnerable are the swarms of young,
each of which grows day by day until,
within the month it becomes as large
as q lady bird, its vile snout remaining
in the flesh where first planted, suck-
|, ing without intermission. The most
brutal of riders examines his horse
every day: for, if he neglects that
precaution, the animal breaks down
promptly. But cattle are not thus
| looked after how do they protect
| themselves3 1t is often remarked
as curious that so. little game is
found in Mexico and the lands
to southwark, which might carry ten
myriads OF deer ,for every, one that
Craze their savannahs. Those who feel
surprised do notigrasp the significance
of the garrapata. The real wonder is
that any animal survives in their DO:
main. It may be- supposed that an
| hereditary instinct ,counsels some fa-
vored specimens 70 avoid a tn the tlhickets tll
where he dwells ,!r ;,,H5.;ss:s ..gza ..3
The negua, orsjigger an inhahitant
| of these same shores, is commonly re.
garded as joke. But If it gain q lodge.
ment unperceived, and establish itself,
frightful consequence 5epsue. Every
body has his or her feet examined
every, day; but when nothing comes tot
it after some months q stranger is apt
to grow tired of the ceremony Thus
one morning, reused by. the chill Of
dawn, we drew up our rug-entangled
our. feet in it's, folds-7and screamed out
suddenly with apaug as sharp andas en-
during as the human frame could bear.
Our feather-headedS boy looked very
grave as he sat to work with his needle
in dead silence. The next half-hour j.
not to be described in a paper that Cir
culates among the young and guileless
Finally two balls were extracted, blacl
and polished, about the size of marbles
few minutes more and they must hav'
burst, no doubt, with consequences no
to. be imagined without dismay: Th ess'
were the egg-bags of two neguas, con
tanning many thousand young, tina
would have started operations each OF
hislo own account forthwith. It's stil
amazing that such big, objects could re
main in the flesh without discoveryffo
weeks. But they lay just under th''
;s1step, and thus escaped pressure II
wali1;ng. x London Saturday, Review.