Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-08-12

Anyone who has tried to sit out-of-
doors lately, especially after twilight,
must have been painfully aware of the
fact, says the Springfield {MGss) Re-
publican, that there is ali unusually
large number of mosquitoes abroad
this summer. The dog days never
fail to bring a plentiful supply of the
mischievous little insect, but this year
they have swarmed in upon us in over
whelming numbers. The rain has
managed to keep the lover of the
Hammock inside for good share of
weather clears up and warm evenings
are promised, the tormenting mos
quito arrives upon the scene and once
more the pleasure seeker is driven in
doors behind the screens. The Chau-
tauquans up ct Laurel Park had no
end of suffering from the wicked in
sects and all western Massachusetts
knows how to sympathize with them,
Nor have we in this section been the
only sufferers. Out in Boston recently
royed that the urchins, instead of sell
ing lemonade and buns stocked up
with mosquito netting to put over the
heads of the cranks and sold their
dry goods to considerable profit The
whole state has gone into mourning.
Some benevolently inclined philoso-
piers have attempted to console the
people with some ingenious theories
recently to the effect that mosquito
bites are healthful, but DR.. George
Dimmock of Grant street in this city,
who has written for the Encyclopedia
Bditannica on smaller subjects and
from his laboratory up on State street
is making discoveries which are earn
ing for him almost an international
reputation as am authority in entomol-
the subject is yet far from being es-
tablished. The mosquito simply is
| here and We must make the best of it
And the cause of his appearance in
/ such numbers is to be found in natural
phenomena, namely, the excessive rain
fall. The mosquito breeds in fine
water. When the female is about tC
| lay her eggs she chooses stagnant
pool and shapes the hatch of eggs sc
! that they feat about on top. After few
days a little fish-like animal emerges
from the bTttom of each egg and
| becomes, in the language of the school
| boy, a 'wriggler." Every one who mas
| looked into a rain tub on a hot June
day has seen these little creatures
| wriggling themselves through the
] water These are the larvae. If one APP
proaches the tub quietly he can see
them resting at the top, seemingly
| hanging head downward from the sur
| face of the water While in this posi-
ton they are breathing, for the ami
NAL must have air as well as wafer
The mosquito remains in this state for
several days, when 1t becomes pHpa
and few days later the skin of the
| Iupa is seen to split down the hack and
| the winged mosquito carefully works
] his way out and stations himself on
| lis outgrown skin, using it as a raft
| VI llllt ne vi les ulHlS1ll anu SfAS
strength for his flight His slender
body soon dries off, he spreads his
wings and starts off on his mission OF
| mischief. Thus the heavy rain OF
this season, by making little pools
everywhere about the country, has
| facilitated the propagation OF the
species-for the female has not been
Obliged to HE herself off to some lone
lly pond as in past summers, but has
found plenty Of pools right here near
at home. These artificial pools, more
over, have bad the advantage Of being
free from the fishes and other inhabi-
tants OF pcrds which prey upon the