The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-07-27
DIR. HIRAM BYRD
ON MOSQUITOES
OF FLORIDA
Much Information of Interest and
Value in Treatise of Jackson
vile Physician.

In his treatise on mosquitoes, pub
lished in The Medical News of June
10, DR.. Hiram Byrd of this city assis-
tant to the state health officer, has
given much information of interest and
value concerning the various species
Of mosquitoes found in Florida and
the best method of exterminatiug
them, says the Jacksonville Times
Union.
Along this line DR.. Byrd says: TO
the casual observer all mosquitoes look
ankle, but a more intimate acquaint-
ance reveals some very striking differ
erces both in structure and habits.
Some are beautifully marked with
white or yellow stripes and bands,
some with purple, while some are OF
more sOmbre hues. Some have long
slender legs, others short and stout
The legs of some are smooth, while
others are beset with erect scales.
Some have toOthed tarsal claws, while
others are without these. Some do nos
bite at all, some bite chiefly at night,
some chiefly in the day, whereas some
/ bite day and night Some pass the
winter in the adult and some in the
/ egg stage. Some deposit their egg on
] NAAN MGLCAs anu OLlEAS uGpOclL luCn
or the grass or mud. where water is
/ expected to come after rain or high
! tides. Some Law their eggs singly,
others join them together into little
/ patches, or boats Some breed only
! in fresh water. others only in sal,
Some prefer clean water, Others filthy.
Some are migratory, others are not.
Some transmit disease, while others
do not. OF those that do, one KIM
transmit one disease and another an
other. But although there are many
differences, there are also many like
nesses, and all mosquitoes agreeing in
4 certain important particulars are
! grouped together as a genus. While
all mosquitoes of the same genus are
alike in most respects, there may be
sCme minor differences. The mos
QUitOes having the same minor differ
ences are grouped together as a spe-
cies. To illustrate:
All malaria carriers have long palpi
in both the male and female. and
their larve have very short respiratory
siphons. They constitute genus anO-
I pheles. But all anopheles are not ex-
actly alike. One kind has three black
] spots on the scales of the last vein,
also white bands across the palpi
I This is the species crUcians and is
/ spoken of as the anopheles crucians.
Another of the Anopheles has white
hind feet. He is known as the ano-
phele agryritarsis."
Transmitters of Yellow Fever.
In referring to the mosquito known
to be the agency of transmitting vel
low fever, DR.. Byrd saws;
The genius Steg3myia includes
something over twenty species. but
only the fasciatus is accused of trans.
hitting yellow fever. And this is the
only representative of the genus so far
found in our state. h is the best
known and most widely distributed
species of culicidOe. He has been de-
scribed and redescribed and named
and renamed until he mas been christ
ened no fewer than seventeen times
For long time he was thought to be-
long to the Culices, and even now
there Is some dissatisfaction about his
classification. This comes from the
fact that he is the only species Of his
genus that transmits yellow fever-a
difference which some think should Be
generic instead of specific.
Found in Florida.
The Stegomyia fasciatus is an in
habitant of tropical and subtrOpical
countries. His limits are pretty accu-
raJely marked by the isoJherm which
forms the northern boundary of the
lower austral life zone. This isotherm
is determined by Or. c. Hart Merriam
as follows: AT any given point, as
Nashville, take the mean daily tenn
perature above 6 degrees c, or 43 de
grees F. Add them together for an EN-
tire year. If the sum amounts to TO-
GOO c or $4,000 F., ii marks the isOth
ERIN in question. The same rule aD-
plies TO the southern hemisphere. AZ
all points between these two isoth- 1
erms, where it is not toe dry. the eli
matte conditions under which the
StegOmyia fasciatus thrives are full
filed. The whole state of Florida is
included within the humid division OF