The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-24
FIFTEEN MILLION ,WREGGLERs.


Absua mat Numbsr Anaunlly Fsa 20 IN.
Small stSck as tn Aanartum.
A natural food supply for many anal
fresh water fishes b found IN the larvm
% the mosquito. the mosquito IN its wxiR.
glsr stage: trout and various other kind
% frsah water hahea eat COUNTLESS mill.
ions Of Wrigglsr1. and 90 On some msaalws
thsy help 20 keep down the crop Of mos
quitoss.
In the season many wrigglsrs are fsd
60 the small nshes In the Aquarium. q
food which they much enjoy. When ths
wrigklsrs 90 on the bin Of fare hero do
psnds Of course on the season. II 70 n
Backward they came lats; 10 10 10 forward.
earlier. Last year wriggiers were NOT
obtainabls tin April -. This year. with
the ssasou warm and forward. they were
served ON April A: a. they win continns 90
DO until the closs of the ssason. soms time
In November.
Mosquitoes breed On saagnsnt fresh
az bFackish water anywhsre. From the
egg the wrtgglsr comes 10 sport about
In the water and soon. IN len further de-
velopmsnt. Il comes 90 the surfeos for
air. There. In its final WTiggisr stage.
10 rsmains. aud then from 10. a. from q
chrysalis. emsrgss the mosquito. with
wings folded upon its body. and thsn.
whsn its wings ara dry. the mosquito
risea and Gies awaysperhaps only 90 cause
annoyancs. perhaps To carry infection.
wrigglsrs for the Aquarium are chi
Tested from staGnant poola along tho
edges Of marshes whom they come up IN
breathe. Inmosquito favored places they
may be fou nd within n square foot Of
tho surface In thousands. The fishing 10
done with q shallow scoop net Of cheese
closh which is dipped alo ng under the
wrigglsrs. only four or ave inches deep
In tho water. In tho catch may be found
thu larve Of various other small insects
and other small creatures. including bugs
and slueH. and the catch may be muddy
from the stirring Of the net in the shallow
water.
Thsn whatever has Ibsen scooped up
- washed. On u liss on thu net. with ciean
water and what b. not wanted rejected
and tho clean wFigKlers arc then shaken
OF the not into . bucket. the collector
Continuing In this way until In hasgafhsred
wTiGglers 10 the number OF about 10000
Az the Aquarium they take out a thousand
or two oe the wriGglsrs for the mosquito
exhibit hero maintained. II that needs
In this sxhibit. all the time going on.
n shown the evolution Of the mesquite.
from ths sGR 20 the wrigRisr and from the
wyiRgbsr to The lying Insect. Whils ths
sxhihlt's label tslin cleariy how the peas
OF mosquitoes may be prevented by
Keeping water barrels covered and DOING
away With all naiRhborsng seAgnant pools,
large and small Comparatively only q
Few Of the wriRRlers are needed for this |
purposs. the bulk % thsm going to food the |
AQuarium's little hnhe@.
The trout are very fond % them. Put |
. bunch OF wrtgglers In tank copeaining |
young isrocs an Inch or tuo long. and the |
wrigglers wrGgis about In their familiar |
devious wayslbut not for long; the little /
trout dart for theml keen and straight |
and swallow them and thrive ON them 1
All the small fresh water hshes like wriR- i
Rlers an do alao small fishes Of salt water /
species. when they are fed to them. The
saahorses here are now being fed on |
Srgglers and they take TO them very
Kindly.
The wriggler season hsreabout lasts
sbout eight months, and through all that II
lime. three or four times q week. wriG- II
Elers are collected and brought To the
aquarium In lots that world count l2S. 000
% Isl. O00 each. an average OF about half a II
million a week, 90 that yearly there arc fed II
% the small stock here in the COURSE OF
SsT Of about fifteen million.