The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
FACTS ABOUT MOSQUITOES.
the INSECT FROM TIE ENTOMO-
LOGICAL DIV or TIEW.
Favorable weather CondItIons-The Mosuni-
to's Complex Biii-Oniy Ono In 10. 900 lie
Ever Used on n Human ReinE -Mo-quito
Bitea ms Medicine - Prevent Malaria.

Ever Used ON n Human
Kites ms Medicine - Prevent Malaria
From the Springfield Republican.
Some bencvolcntly inclined philosophers have
attempted to console tho people with some in.
gcnIous theories recently to the effect that mos.
quito bites are hcalthfuI. but DIR. George Dim.
mock Of Grant street In this city, who, from his
laboratory up on State street, Is making discov>
cries which nrc earning for him almost an in
tcrnational reputation as an authority in ento-
molOgy, says that this consoling phase OF the
subject Is yet far from being established. The
mosquito simply is here, and we must make .hs
best Of IL. And the cause OF his appearance in
such numbers Is to be found in natural phenone-
ma, namely, the excessive rainfall.
The mosquito breeds la the water. When the
female is about to lay her eggs she chooses .
~stagnant pool and shapes the batch OF eggs so
that they float about on top. After "A few days .
little fishlike animal energies from the bottom
OF each egg and becomes. In the language of the
schOolboy, II "wriggler." Every one who has
looked into a rain tub on a hot July day has seen
these little creatures wriggling themselves
through the water. These are the larva. II one
approaches the tub quietly he can see them
resting at the top, seemingly hanging head
downward from the surface oil the water. While
in this position they arc breathing. for the AMI
NAL must have air as well as water.
The mosquito remains in this state for
several DAYS. when IL becomes n pura.
and u few days later the skin of the pupa
is seen to split down the back and the winged
mosquito carefully works his way out and sta
tions himself on his outsrown skin, using 1t Nc
a raft while he dries himself and gets strength
for his flight. His slender body soon dries of and
he spreads his wings and starts off on his mis-
sion Of mischief. Thus the heavy rain OF this
season. by making little pools everywhere about
Tho cnuptry bna facilitated tho incarceration nf
tho species for the female has not been Obliged
to HE herself off to some lonely pond, as in past
summers, but has found plenty of pools right
here near at home. These artificial pools, more
over, have had the advantage of being free from
the fishes and other inhabitants of ponds which
prey upon the "wrigGlcrs.' Thus the mosquito
has found things coming his way this summer
with a vengeance, and he is beginning to arrive
in numbers that threaten the extinction of the
human race before the season is over.
II is only in the last few years that we havo
known just how the mosquito gets in his bill
and sucks the blood. Scientists had a general
idea, but il was not until DIR. Dimmock began
his investig atoms that the mosquitoes modus
operandi has become fully known. Mr.. Dim
mock was at Leipsic, Germany, at the time.
working for his Phi. ID. degree, his subject being
the mouthpieccs of insects. Applying his pow
crful microscope to the bill of the mosquito, he
discovered IL 10 ne composed OF SIX distinct
prongs. with a sheaf around the whole. When
the insect begins to work he pulls this sheaf
back under him, which leaves the prongs free to
operate. or these prongs the first two are
notchcd like a saw, and are used TO pull the rest
of the tools in. Otherwise the mosquito,
being such a and not being
able 10 hang on with his feet, IL
he attempted to thrust his bill in by
main force would simply Dry himself off into
notcly no ,ntrsur nnIs IT. 49, $50 80
80 nv p"'is "e oe"A i'sioc as VIC
gcther TO make a chisel, and serve to die the
hole out wide, Tho ncxt tho ff,b nroro go
hnlar and CARRIES tho no,snn fron .pn .
duct back in the MOSQUITOES head down into the
flesh. This makes the blood Of his victim thin.
ner, and thus more easy for him to suck up.
The last prong is the largest of all and is meant
,..a, a. . -
.o.,"p Ia 'ne "ar'est' U "hich al the otner
work is merely preliminary. for it is a tube
through which the insect sucks in the blood OF
b;s s,cr;sc. M ,urs
nao ~ ". ''Nfse' al, 'hcse prohgs ore eH'
ceedingly minute. Not only the naked eye. but
most microscopes, fail to show their separoto
and II was only wn., Nv D;,,n,o,r
had applied his strongest microscope to some
cross sections that he made the discovery.
Just why the MOSQUITO bites people is no, vcs
known. IT Is not to furnish him fool. for it is
an established fact that a mosquito. after eorr-
inc himself with human blood IA. s.li-
."s HH''' "'n n"'h"h o'ooo' oies wlihiha
rev hours; whereas mosquitoes that have never
tasted blood have been known 10 live very rom.
fortablv even ,brouyh tho o,,iro wintan 40
in,n 81. =, ~ NV .h' winter al"
mo inc next season. Inc adult mosquito ioes
not need food. During his larya staee he has
stored nm cuouyb nour;sbuon, 70 a., h,,,au
,t, ne n - " i"S n'u'
us nc ana IL Is MS normal state to go without
food To-. the rest or his existence. All
that he moods i. ,uois, o;r al
' " h'''s' air. auulI mos
9uitocs being known to pass the winter in
dalnI cellars. living, on nothing but the
ii1!slure. inc inCI that II is stiniat that
Only one out or 10000 ever tastes human blood
also proves that IL is not necessary. Why he
petslsls III lorturlng mankind. therefore, has
nor yet oceh t0Gnd out. and scientists can only
swear Softly win The rest of mankind and make
Tue general statement that the mosquito is born
win q vitiated 'ppctite for human gore-an
aphglite NAT causes the death of the ind ulger.
ana Is thus precisely parallel to the drunkard's
thIlst for drink. Is not here. too. it has been
asked a hrld Tor some of our little temperance
pamns 70 n1 a hninnnc work