The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-09

gets in its fine work. II seems to have
| but single long proboscis. bu. this, in
reality, consists OF seven distinct sien-
| der pieces, which. when closed one upon
| the other. look like a single proboscis-
| Scientists tell us that these parts consist
OF a labrum, two mandibles. two max
| illas, surrounding hypopharynx. all Of
| which fit the labrum.
When the mosquito has finally settled
upon some spot that suits it, for it selects
spots with great discernment and often
buzzes about before settling, II first gets
its hooks into the skin. being plentifully
supplied with graphing irons in the
shape Of labeilae and setae.
Whether the mosquito was the posses
sor of a poison duct was question long
in dispute among the careful observers
of the insect. But the researches OF
Professor Macloskie and others have
pretty well settled the fact that a poi
son duct is contained in the hypopharynx
which has thickened axis ike a rod.
Professor MacloSkie discovered this
duct by first observing fire droplets OF
yellow. oily looking fluid escaping from
the apex Of the hypopharynx. He traced
the course of this fluid down through the
axis Of the hypopharynx. the base Of
which he found to contain a sac-like res
ervoir, into which the end of a fine duct
was inserted. The duct, he holds. is a
poison duct, and the poison is propelled
through the tubular axis OF the hypo-
pharynx into the wound. II is this poi
son which causes the irritation that fol-
lows the bite of the mosquito. But the
poison alone is not capable OF producing
any serious results.
Besides being an insect that Is fear
fully and wonderfully made, the mosqui-
TO has quite poetic and fairy like nat
ural history. II becomes the nuisance
thar it is only through a series OF Won
derful transformations.
In their early stages mosquitoes are
aquatic. The female deposits her eggs
in masses on the surface OF stagnant
water The larvae are very active. and
spend their first stage swimming about
and devouring all sorts Of living atoms
to be found in such water. They reach
their second stage by casting off the
iarvdl skin and becoming pupae. In this
stage they are rolled up like ball and
float upon the water, breathing through
respiratory tubes on the tops OF their
backs. They take no nutrinent IN this
stage. but fast and pray, waiting for
better days and opportunities.
Strange to say, it is only the female
mosquito which torments mankind; the
males do not appear to have the same
unquenchable thirst for gore. But We
cannot stop TO discriminate between the
sexes, We must slay the just with the
unjust, and so innocent males must be
sacrificed in the holy war against the
mosquito.
Many methods have been suggested
for the mitigation of the mosquito nui-
sance. OF them the most practical one
is to cultivate the natural enemies OF the
and 10 attack and limit the
breeding grounds.
Dr. Lamborer and DR.. McCook have
both strongly advocated the cultivation
Of the dragon fly and the spider. 81,
is a strange illustration of human per-
says DR.. McCook, that these
two insects whose lives are spent in serv-
ing man, should be largely under the |
ban of human prejudice. The dragon fly |
is dreaded; the spider is hated; and yet |
they are natures checks upon the mos |
quito and other insects that otherwise |
would make our earth well nigh uninhab- |
table"