The Dickinson press., 1896-10-03
RAIN AND
A Wet Summer Greutly Multipii
the Hungry Insects.

A Wet Summer Greatly Multlpiics
the Hungry Insects.
The weather for the past few weeks
may be annoying to people whose
plans were broken into and whose com.
fort was spoiled by sudden showers;
but 1t cannot be denied that the mo-
s1uito has enjoyed it.
EntoMologists like Prof. 7. r. Uhler,
Of the Peabody institute. say that
rainy wetilcr such MS has visited Bal
timore in the past few weeks gives the
mosqito every opportunity for breeding
In Duml":rs. Mosquitoes breed on wa
ter, and the rain, which has fallen al
most daily for the past six weeks, has
Kept the swamps. rain barrels. gutter
crevices and other choice places, from
running dry. and has thus contributed
materially to the Matching forth of
billions of mosquito eggs. The female
mosquito breeds but once a year, but
200 or 800 eggs are laid in that time.
The Matching of these tiny eggs is in
teresting. When they are ready to
burst open and let loose the young mo-
squito for an active campaign against
humanity, the egg comes up to the top
OF n water, the surrounding shell or
covering splits down the back and the
tiny creature floats on the surface in q
boat, as it We're. until its wings are
stiff and dry enough for him to start
on In the air. Mosquitoes do not usu-
ally make their appearance in numbers
In this vicinity until August, but they
came early this summer and nets are
up everywhere.
Not one, but three. species are repre-
sented among those who venture into
human habitations. The n whose
sting hurts the most is a little, dark
brown creature; but n goodly-sized yell
low mosquito and n large-sized yellow
variety, with striped legs, are not
backward in making their presence
known.
Mosquitoes are so natural, so cunning
In the manner in which they sting and
draw their blood. that it will no doubt
surprise most people to be told that
sucking human blood is only an ac-
quired taste with them. DIR. Uhler
says that their natural food is slime
and deleterious organic matter that
would he the cause of much malaria
Sucking blood is only an acquired
taste. says DR.. Uhler, '"tut they have
learned now to do it scientifically. Did
You ever notice how quickly they dis
v and make for places on the ex-
posed parts of your body where arter-
les full of blood lie near the s%urface?"
All the mischief of the mosquitoes
was Inherited by the females. The
males neither i".zz nor sting. nor do
they seem to do anything ut all except
to stay lazily by and watch q spry and
energetic female cavOrt around n hui
man a AMI make merry over the an
nloyance she is causing to the man or
woman with nerv"s
Ent.Im0logists say that the male mo-
squitO is even too modest to eat, or, at
any rit., II 'tt'ing Inns ever been found
In the stomac:. of one. Perhaps there
may be a new-woman craze or a sex
revolution in mosquitodom some day,
and then the mall. mosquito will get
the right ct suffrage and the females
be told to stop their noise.
The males can't make q noise, be-
cause they haven't a pair of sononor-
GUS cavities near their wings, as the
females have. 1ne air hurled against
these cavities by rapidly-moving wings
causes he buz. heard when Mr.. Mo-
squito is drawing near.-Baltilnore
Sun.