Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-29
GREAT CROP OF DRAGON FLIES.
DEVILS Darning Needles Destroyihs
millions of Jersey Mosquitoes.

MilIfons of Jersey Mosquitoes
From the New York Sun.
That part of New Jersey whlch siopes
down to the Hudson river and is Connected
with this city by trolley lines ana Terry
boats is rejoicing this season IN e&eiiip-
ton from Jerseys worst plague the mus
quito. Hitherto all newcomers to that paf'
of the country have been Obliged TO oe-
come inocu,ated, as 1t WERE against 'ne
poisonous and pestilent insect before .neS
could extract any satisfaction out of life.
Commuters to Brentwood, Edgewater. Hud-
son Heights, Palisade Park land other
n,aces back of Weehawken and Fort Lee,
| it is said, used to come into town III inc
a.rlv mart of the warm season looking as II
they were suffering from eryslpelas anu
continue to swell until they We're proof ps
repeated mosquito VACCINATIONS against INC
virus Furthermore, it Is salo thal me
swarming insects caused the real estate
prices to deteriorate by chasing prospective
purchasers down to the river.
All that is changed now and the local
commluer is rejoicing with full heart.
So rare have mosquitoes become in that
locality that people are beginning 10 NUM-
them as rare specimens OF family " apptII-
only doomed to become extinct. rms sud-
den and gratifying falling of in the mos
onto crop is ascribed by Jersey scientists
70 the work of another insect, the dragon
fly. or devils darning neea'e alsr A auS ael
| cused of sewing up the ears or chlldhood,
aiThough these sartorial charges are not
ha ckad up by scientific proof. Ihese neu-
ronters are possessed of the most enormous
annettte in all the range of creation COM
nared to the dragon fly the hog IS oys1
pantic It's principal article OF diet Is small
fry of the insect kingdom and 1t mas a par
ticular fondness for MOSQUITOES
Consequently the Jersey dragon mes oW-
ing to the overwhelming plenty OF .nelr
fayorite dish, have become degenerate
race, fat, lazy and logs; copa t,a ,ssry
inert for one of his family and stiii pc htt!e
slower than a streak of lightning; Tor TINS
insect travels with SwlftneSS mat COM
pletely battles the unframed eye aver; Even .he
lection of mosquitoes in two or three MN
utes. at the end of which there are no more
MOSQUITOES around that immediate LOCALITY
The only trouble with the dragon ny OF
Jersey is that as he degenerated In quahty
he also deteriorated in quantity until there
wasn't enough to keep the mosquito popu-
lation down.
nut has been a magnificent success Every
bond and pool in the nearby upland parts
Of New Jersey has brought forth its thou
sands not the iogy wing Harper o. eeen.
aeronaut with an unerring eye and an in
Suitable passion for the chase. Particular
ly common are the swamp, or silVer-bodied
dragon flies, neuropter with brown-barred
wings and a beautiful, brilliant streak of
silver down the side of the body. These
love to hover above the quiet water OF
marsh like hawks. or travel slowly along
the margins as if out on a sightseeing ex-
petition But let anything within the
range Of their prey come into sight and the
unWary bug finishes its career at the end
of a long swift streak Of silver.
So lively is the competition for mosque
toes on the part Of these swamp frequenters
that it Is no uncommon thing to see two
or three Of them floating above the spot