The record-union., 1897-12-07

MOSQUITOES UBIQUITOUS.
The Pest Adapts Himself to Many
Chimes.

The Pest Adapts Himself to Many
Chimes.
Very few people appreciate the re-
markable ubiquity of the mosquito. The
general impression is that this pest is
an inhabitant only of temperate or
tropical chimes.
But the mosquito adapts itself to all
kinds of conditions and climates, and is
TO be found even in the Arctic regions,
as every visitor to the klondike knows
to his cost If gold were as plentiful
and as easily to be found in the kIon-
dixie regions as are mosquitoes, every
fevered follower OF the golden fleece
would return with a golden harvest.
One does not have to hunt after mos
quitoes as one hunts for gold in the
Klondike. The mosquitoes are ever
alert, ever active and continually hunt
the unfortunate wayfarer. If only
clouds of gold dust would settle upon
him as do clouds of mosquitoes, he
would be a happy man indeed. Hard
as are the conditions of life amid the
barren regions of the North, they are
made harder still by these pests that
arise in sWarns at every footstep.
OF all the sisterhood of States in our
Union New Jersey is awarded the palm
as the record breaker in the way Of
breeding mosquitoes. But in this re-
spect, in comparison to the Arctic re-
gions, New Jersey must hide her di-
minished head. You hear of people
being driven away from the delights of
Jersey watering places by swarms OF
the genus culex, but they are nothing
in comparison to the hungry hordes
that guard the regions Of gold in the
North. 1t is well for those who con-
template emigrating to FIondike to
know what awaits them in those re-
gions. The emigrant must be made of
sterner stuff than is the average Jersey
pleasure seeker, or he will turn back
disheartened from the furious onslaught
made upon him.
l remember one unhappy night In
Labrador, spent upon a desert island.
We were off the coast, and a parry
Of US left the ship in a couple of small
boats. We had gone along the coast
for a considerable distance, when a
storm struck US, and we were fain to
take refuge on a desert island, a bleak
and barren spot, Offering but little shell
ter but it was a case of Hobson's
choice.
The island contained nothing but
moss and mosquitoes. Though the
moss was wet, we might have been able
to get some sleep that night, being clad
in oils6ins, had it not been for the mos
quitoes. Unfortunately, we had no
face masks, and the torture we endured
was almost unbearable. All night long
the pests swarmed about us, and it
seemed as if they must have extracted
all our blood long before the morning
broke. When morning dawned at last
wind and sea subsided, and we made
good our escape back to the ship
l have come to believe that Green
land is the fatherland of the mosquito
Over it's wastes it breeds and multiplies
in way that gives evidence OF most
conducive environment. The MOSQUITO
does not seem to mind the cold a bit
1t wears neither sealslxins nor ulsters
and yet appears contented and happy
and ever ready for the fray.
/ spent much time in hunting in
Greenland and in climbing the stupen-
dous glaciers, but wherever you go the
mosquito, like the poor, is always with
you. On Greenland icy mountains, as
well as upon its wastes and plains, you
are obliged to listen TO the old familiar
hum. AT every step mosquitoes rise in
clouds, and without the proper armor
life would be uncomfortable.
Game is plentiful in some sections of
Greenland, but nothing is so plentiful
as the mosquito Perhaps the reason
that our hardy Arctic explorers have
never discovered the pole is that such
swarms of mosquitoes arise as to COM
pletely hide it from view.
But, leaving all joking aside, let every
one who desires to go into northern re-
gions, whether for the purposes of eX-
ploration or for the finding of gold, go
prepared to do battle with the mos
quito. ] venture to say it will be a
fiercer battle than any before expe-
rienced. 1t is not that the Arctic mos
quitoes are any stronger or more vo-
racious than our own domestic product.
| Their weapons are no sharper, their
venom is no more virulent, but their
numbers are far greater We can all
recall that venerable riddle which is
propounded to every child, What
makes more noise than a pig under a
gate?" And the answer is, Two pigs
under a gate. New York Herald.