The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-05-31
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Studying the Mosquito
By J.



electrician some years ago accidental
ly learned about this trait OF the mos
quito He was experimenting with a
harmonic telegraph instrument The
moment the instrument reached a GER
tain pitch every male mosquito within
hearing distance came hot foot to the
scene, but the sound had no attrac-
tions for the females.
1t is said that the Culex females al
ways mediate awhile before biting, but
that the Anopheles go right into the
/ bloody work with the air of a surgeon
who would have it quickly over. 1t is
contended that the fact that the male
mosquito never bites is not to be at
tributed TO any particular forbearance
or goodness of heart, but rather to the
fact that his head is not properly
equipped for bloodsucking on a salts
factory scale. Some of the recent in
vestigators even so SO far as to be-
lieye that it IS an acquired habit with
the female and not a natural one. It
will be rene mbered that there is g
wild bird which learns to kill sheep
after long association with the shep-
herds fiocks. So it is with the female
gators. These insects first learn to sup
liquids from the eyes Of animals and
then acquire the habit of going be-
meath the skin. In many instances, it
is asserted, they acquire their taste for
blood by making dinner in fresh
wounds. They have a little bulb in
their proboscis like a fountain pen
filler, and draw the blood with that.
Some mosquitoes will bite one person
and show a distaste for another. Ex-
periments have shown that the aver
age male mosquito is fond of beer and
wine. while the female will have MOTH
ing to do with such things. The male
is essentially a vegetarian.
Unless Isaac Weld We're qualifying
for membership in the Ananias club,
George Washington lost his reputation
for veracity when discussing the MOS
quito. Weld declares in his Travels
Through North America" that George
Washington told him that, of truth,
he had encouI tered mosquitoes which
were able to bite through the thickest
boot. As this was in the campaigns
around New York and in New Jersey
some will still believe that the Father
Oh Ills 1OuILIy was llbt CAdSSSIdlIilo
even there.
The department of agriculture has
recently issued a new bulletin on the
economic losses caused by insect pests.
The mosquito has it's character black
ened in that report to such an extent
as to constitute criminal libel. Not only
is it charged with being responsible
for much disease and suffering, with
heavy economic losses attendant there
upon, but the assertion is made that it
retards the development of states and
nations, and has caused the decline and
decay of other nations. 1t is charged
that vast areas around New York.
which would otherwise be bcehives Of
industry and Thrift, are held under the
dominion of the mosquito and made as
uninhabitable to humanity as the
bleakest peak in the Rocky Mountains.
In other places they have So annoyed
the cows that the milk supply ran
short and left the dairyman bank
rupt. At Sheepshead bay they annoy
ed the race horses so much that the
track authorities spent thousands of
dollars in banishing them from that
section One writer declares that New
Jersey ldAdDIS VALUES eIC %iV,oVV'VN'
below what they would be if it were
not for the mosquito. Another be-
lives that the introduction of malaria
into Greece was largely responsible for
the progressive physical degeneration
of one of the strongest races of history.
Still another asserts that half of italy
is rendered more or less inhospitable
to mankind because of the malarial
mosquito.
And so the indictment runs Charged
with causing the death of more than
700, 900 American citizens every decade,
and with bringing about 100000 cases
of malaria every year. all of it result
ing in an economic loss large enough
to maintain the whole American army
year in and year out, the Anopheles
family stands a good prospect of be-
ing banished forever by the court of
enlightened opinion, and the EVIL night
air. will be robbed of it's terrors. There
are fish that have an appetite for the
larvae of malaral mosquitoes greater
Than that of a ferret for the blood of
a rat. In the island of Barbados
these fish have effectively kept the
malarial mosquito from multiplying.
America will probably import many
such fish within the next few years.
and they win help solve the problems
of mosquito determination.