The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-05-29
90 SPECIMENS
OF MOSQUITO
Governments Expert Finds
This Many Kinds in Panama
Fever Feeders Scarce and more
Easily Disposed of
Than Others.

A Washington special says
In order % deserinine the spe-
cial and habits of the mos
uuitoes of Panama and thereby
TO assist in the sanitary war against
them as disease carries, August Busck
of the Department Of Agriculture
was recently sent on a collecting and
investigating trip to the Canal Zone.
The material brought back by him
has been studied and identified and
full report, showing ninety separate
species known on the Isthmus, is just
published by the Smithsonian Institu-
tioD in its series of Miscellaneous
Collections"
Inasmuch as each species Of mos
quito. besides being physically different
in some respect from every other, has
habits of its own. the necessity of
knowing accurately and completely
just what sort of mosquitoes have TO
be COPIED with is apparent.
Some kinds breed exclusively in arti'
ficial receptacles Of water such as tin
cans and open vessels; others only in
hollow places in trees; some in high
wines that overgrow the trees; some
limit their breeding to notches Of BAN
boo stalks and a number or varieties
are satisfied only witch crab holes in
the ground.
One of the species carries yellow
fever: some spread malaria, and Other
are instrumental in carrying other
diseases. On the other hand, a large
number of species are entirely harm
less, and esveral do not bite human
beings at all.
Tins aside from the pure con,ribu-
tions TO knowledge resulting from the
trip. this exploration has rendered pos
sible more economic and efficient
methods for exterminating the disease
carriers
Mr.. Bucsk spent three months on
Che islands during the breeding time,
covering the end OF the dry season
and ne early part of the rainy season
aud secured larvae of eighty-three spe-
cies Of which thirty species were new
and science. With seven additional spe
'cies already known, this constitutes
the largest number recorded from any
one locality on earth
Most of the material gathered has
been dposiIed in the National Mu-
scum at Washington. Mosquitoes do
not fly very far from the place where
they are born. They keep close to
their food supply.
Those that affect the inhabitants
of a town or camp normally do moi
come from a distance greater than
200 yards. Ii is this fact that rem
ders the sanitary work of the Canal
Commission possible.
The land about every settlement is
cleared by the removal of all brush
underground and grass; only shade anC
fruit trees are left, and these are
uhinned out 20 admit sunlight and free
ventilation.
When practicable, swamps and low
ianis are filled in with some of the
immense supply of material taken
from the great Culebra cut. then the
whole area is drained so that the sur
face wafer will run off. bitches and
slow flowing streams are kept clear
0f mosquitoes by drippings of oil OF
copper sulphate.
Swamps and pools are oiled at least
once week. Water barrels, buckets
and pals must be screened or oiled
and all tin cans must be buried.
Even the old cast-off machines
Undiscovered relics of French occu-
pations' are drained of their puddles
of water. If many insects infest a
camp or town it is fumigated. BY car
rying out these methods of general
determination exceptionally thorough
results have already been obtained.
One important feat has already been
accomplished. The yellow fever mos
quito, The only kind in America
spreading this infection, scientifically
called Segomla. is very scarce. II
IS possible 90 live for weeks on the
canal without seeing a single speci-
men. This mosquito is a strictly do
7nostic animal. never found away from
man 1t breeds only in artificial re-
reptacles, such as barrels, water cooler
Bodies tin cans. etc, in and around
human habitations.
Knowing this. it is well within the
power of the authorities to eliminate
absolutely this dangerous insect and
render a yellow fever epidemic impos-
sible on account of the total absence
of the only agent which spreads it.
The Misunderstanding varieties, in
.cluded under the general name Of An
opheles. are also subject to strenuous
attacks. Usually the species of this
group deposit larvae the adges OF the
slow-nowing streams and stagnat pools