The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-24
GREAT CROP or DRAGON.FLIES.
The DEVILS Darning Needles DESTROYING Nil.
lions Upon Millions OF Jersey Mosquitoes.

That part of New Jersey which slopes down
10 the Hudson River and is connected with this
city by trolley lines and ferrybOats Is rejoicing
this season In exemption from jerseys worst
plague. the mosquito. Hitherto all newcomers
10 that part Of the country have been obliged to
become inoculated. M II were. against the
poisonous and pestilent insect before they could
extract any satisfaction out OF life. Commuters
10 brentwood. Edgewater, Hudson Heights.
Palisade Park and other places back Of Wee
hawken and Fort Lee, il Is said. used to come
into town in the early part Of the warm season
looking as if they were suffering from eryslp-
elias and continue to well until they were proof.
by repeated mosquito vaccinations, against the
virus. Furthermore,it Is said that the swarm
ing insects caused the real estate prices 70 de-
t~eriorate by chasing prospective purchasers
down TO the river.
All that IL changed now and the local COM
mutsr Is rejoicing with a full heart. So rare
have mosquitoes become In that locality that
people are beginning to hunt them as rare
specimens Of a family apparently doomed TO be-
come extinct. This sudden and gratifying fall
ing of in the mosquito crop is ascrihed ny Jer-
sey scientists IN the work Of another insect. tho
dragon-fy or devils darning needle. also known
In some localities "a SNAKE doctor" and nc~uscd
OF sewing up the ears OF childhood. although
these sartorial charges are not backed up by
scientific proof. These neuropters IRE pos
sessed OF the most enormous appetite In all the
range OF creation. Compared to the dragon-
fly the hog Il a dyspeptic. Its principal articla
of diet ts small fry Of tho insect kingdom and il
has n particular fOndncSs for mosquitoes.
Consequently tho Jersey draGon-nIns. owinr
70 the overwhelming PLENTY Of their ,avorita
dish, have become a degenerate rHce. fat. lazy
and logv. comparatively .snoNking. Now. 4
draGSon-ty, NAY he yery inert for ono Of hs
lightning, for this insect travels with q swift
rnSs that comnletplv battles the unframed eve.
Even N" LATEST Of thern can mike n lNrE, din
ncr collection Of MOSQUITOES IN two or three
minutes. at the end of which there are no moro
MOSQUITOES around that immediate locality.
The only trouble with the dragon-iy Of Jersey
Is that AZ he degenerated in quality he also do
Perforated In quantity until there wasn't enough
to keep the mosquito Formulation down.
THIS season however; the neuropteT out
pond and pool In the nearby uplPnd parts
Of New Jersey has brought, forth its thous-
ands; not not the ths iGsgy gl9s hnrp"r Of recent
naut with an %unerring eye and M Unsuitable
passion for tho chase. Particularly common
are the swamr, or silver; bodied dragon Aies,
beautiful. brilliant streak Of silver down the
side Of the body. These love 10 hover above
the quiet water Of z marsh like hawks, or
sightseeing expedition. But let anything with
In the range OF their prey come into sight
and the unwary hug finishes It's career at tho
end OF n long swift streak. Of silver.
SO lively Ia the competition for mosquitoes
on the part 81 these swami frequenters that
1t + no uncommon thing to 900 two
or three OF them floating above the snot
whore a mosquito wigClar Il making lis
way tn tho surface preparatory 10 changing
m aquatic for m aerial ~ lstence. md ns
soon IA the prey comes 10 the surface uluny-
ing lpldluIR In n race for tho I0ipfp Auv