The Washington herald., 1912-06-02
REAL ESTATE VALUES FIXED BY MOSQUITOES

vel supplied with the pests from q sin
Ble neglected rainwater barrel
There are mosquitoes which breed IN
pltcher plants. I knew OF q case whera
considerable number Of pitchers Of
such plants. found filed with solid ice
IN winter, we're thawed out and yielded
Two bottles OF very lively wrigglers. The
latter were imbedded In the fee, 50 that
they could be seen scattered through Il
They survived, and finally assumed the
winged form. thus throwing an interest
ing light upon a mode OF spending the
cola months, which had never been sus-
pected OF mosquitoes.
Habits OF the Insects.
IT one wishes to study closely the m
innate habits Of mosquitoes while going
through their various transformations.
their eggs may be obtained with ease
by exposing e bucket Of water out OF
doors in suitable locality on almost any
summer night. The egg masses should
be transferred from the bucket to
breeding jar-for which nothing Is better
than one OF the large cylindrical glass
Jars known as battery Jars. Such
receptacle should be big enough to hold
about a gallon Of water A layer OF
sand an inch or two deep is placed IN
the bottom, and a quart or more OF water
poured over It After the sand has set
tied and the water has cleared. a BIT
Of any small aquatic plant may be IN
Of the jar a piece OF cheesecIoth should
be strapped with a rubber band. Thus
provided for, the mosquitoes win soon
hatch out, and may be observed at
leisure
'.As far back az 1874 the fact was es-
tablished that the whiskers-or, to sneak
with more strict accuracy, the antennal
hairs-of the male mosquito are organs
Of hearing. Experiments with a tuning
fork showed that some Of the hair are
specially tuned to respond to vibrations
5l2 per second. while other
hairs vibrate 20 other notes These audi
tory hairs vibrate when the song Of the
female comes at right angles to them.
II the song Affects one antenna more
than another. the male turns his head
until both atennae are affected, and is
thus able to determine the exact direc-
ton Of the female, to which he then
aies. 1t appears that the male can thus
guide himself to within five degrees Of
the exact direction OF the female.
Not long ago an electrical engineer Of
Jackson. Miss, wrote me that while en-
gagged in some experiments in harmonic
biography, in which a musical note Of
! certain pitch was produced by cleo
.rical means. he was amazed to ind
hat when the note was raised to a GER
ain number Of vibrations per second.
III mosquitoes, not only IN the room but
rom outside, would ny toward the ap-
oaratus, striking It with astonishing
'Orce. Having covered part Of the ap-
Daratus With sticky fiypaper, he sue
,eeded, after sounding the note for a
ew seconds. in capturing all the. mos
IuitOes in the vicinity. Then he de-
Used a machine TO electrocute mosaui-
oes. causing them to prscipitate them
elves when the note was sounded against
wire window screen, through which an
alternating current Of high potential was
,assed.
Male mosquitoes are not blood-drink-
rs, but they are often seen sucking at
lrops Of water or molasses. or beer. or
vine Wine seems to have a markedly
effect upon them. A col
eague Of my own. Mr.. SchwarZ, has
made some interesting observations OF
heir beer-guzziing habit, so that IT may
,e said that any accusation Of blood
hirstiness brought against the female
ex, as illustrated in mosquitoes, may
'e offered by the circumstance that even
With these creatures the male sex is
he one that is prone to alcoholism
RENE BACHE