The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-02

appear to be especially fond of beer and
wine. The females are normally, without
much doubt, plant-feeders, and very few
Of them get an opportunity to taste blood
of a warm-bodied animal. They VIII
feed upon other than warm blooded ami
mails. They have been seen puncturlRs
the heads of young fish, the chrysalis of
butterfly, and they have been seen
sWarming about turtles when the latter
are on land. The larvae, on the contrary,
iced upon all sorts Of minute organisms
of algae and minute aquatic animals.
They are all furnished with many bris-
ties at the mouth, and these bristles are
kept in constant vibration, drawing partt-
cles floating or in suspension in the wa
ter into the mouth cavity.
Five genera of mosquitoes are repre-
scented in this country, namely. Anophe-
les, Aedes, Megarhinus, Psorophora and
CuleX. Most of our species belong to
the genus Culex. The mosquitoes of the
genus Anopheles are the ones which are
responsible for the transfer of malaria.
We have in the United States three
species of mosquitoes of this malarfal
genus. Anopheles. namely, A claviger-A
nlaculipennis-qua A pune
t1pennis and A. crucians.
The mosquitoes of the genus Aedes
are excessively small Those of Megar-
linus and Psorophora are very large and
include the forms known in various paris
OF the country as gallinnippers. Psor-
Cphora is distinguished by possessing 7ttJ4
right scales on the legs; Megarhinus. by
its curved beak Anopheles is dfStffss
guished from Culex by the fact that its
palpl are nearly as long as it's beak
while in Culex the palpi are very short.
THE REMEDIES.
Mosquitoes, as rule, do not fly very
Tar. Those of the genus Anopheies APP
pear to be of extremely short fight.
IhoSe OF the genus CuleX will not fly
far away from their breeding pEac~ss<
unless they are carried by light and con-
tinued winds. In heavy winds they cling.
TO the nearest point Of attachment. They
are carried long distances by railroad
trains, and many localities where mo5-
0uitoes were unknown have become if=
tested by the Introduction of railways CT
improvement of the through train sserv-
Many localities can be practically rid
OF mosquitoes by the adoption of any
one of three measures: Either by the
drainage of the swamps or ponds IN
winch they breed, or by the Use of kero-
sene upon the surface Of the waters in
WIlch they breed, or by the introduction
OF .f1Sh into fishless ponds, so that they
may eat the larvae Of the mosquitoes.
IN all mosquito-eXtermina work how
ever, 1t must be remembered that thew.
vail breed successfully in any transient
pool OF wafer or in any receptacle where
water is left standing for a week. no
matter now small this receptacle maybe
Ihey may breed in collections of water
IN the hol1Ows of old StumDs or in. Old
bottles Or in old discarded tomato cans
They breed profusely in rain water bar
relS; and in rain water tanks, and in old
Wells, and even in ceSSpOolS where the
adults are able to gain access to such
pools Therefore, every possible source
OF this kind must be hunted for when
one is engaged in mosquito externina-
LIFE HISTORY OF A MO5QUITO. 1z
The common and widespread mosquito,
Whlcn occurs from the White mountains
IN New Hampshire to Cuba and from
British Columbia to Mexico, laws its eggs
numbering from 200 to 400, in a raft-lile
ndass on the surface Of the water. The
EGGS are laid side by side standing on
enc ana stuck close together in lOngi-
tudlnal rows six to thi, teen in numb3r
ana with from three or four to forty eggs
III d row. Inc egg mass is gray-broYn
from above and SilYery white from H.
low, the latter color being due to the
water MIN. The eggs are laid early i'm
IlIe morning before dawn and in warm
Wedthef Will match by two o'clock on the
AFTERNOON of the same day. The larvae
are active little creatures, known as
WFlSgIerS, Which are so often to be seen
IN ram water barrels and horse troIIohs
me anal end of the body is provided
with a long respiratory tube into which
Two large air vessels extend quite to its
UP: where they have a double oriflce
winch is guarded by four fans This tIIhe
issues from the eighth segment Of The
apdomen. The ninth segment is armed at
the Tip with four flaps and six hairs The
laps are gHI-1ke In appearance, though
Ihey are probably simply locomotorv in
FUNCTION. The mouth parts are ctriorsIv
modllled and are provided with long ella
winch are kept constantly in vibration
attracting and directing into the month
minute particles of animal and vegetable
matte. which are to be found in the wa
Ter e The wriggler remains at the surface
OF the water when breathing through IT'S
respiratory tube, but descends when
seeking food. 1t undergoes three differ
eht molts, reaches maturity and trans
forms TO pupa in a minimum of seven
Gays IN not summer Weathec, taking uu h
longer IN the early spring or when the
weather grows cold in the fall. The Duna
DIFFERS radically from the hair
IKE or trumpet-like organs issuing from
the thoraX instead of from a respiratorv
tube at the other end Of the body. The
pupa remains at the surface of the Wa
Ter IN an upright position, but when dis
Iurped Wrlggles actively to the bottom
noaung upward again in very short
Time Inc pupa stag lasts in ssyya rr11
weather but two days, at the expiratiOT
OF which time the skin splits on the hack
OF the thoraX and the adult MOSQUITO
works itself out, resting upon the old
pGpa skin until its wings unfold and then
mes away. The duration of a single gen
Grafton may be within ten days, say six
teen hours for the egg, seven days for
the la!'Va and two days for the puma
inns time, however, may be indefinitely
enlarged If the weather be cool.