OF * WASHINGTON. 113 



toes. Another feature in the economy of the Japanese house is 

 the numerous washbowls, crockery or stone, set up by the side 

 of the houses so that the guest can step out on the little porches 

 and wash his hands and face in the open. These stone or crock 

 ery washbowls are of considerable size, holding several gallons 

 of water, and are kept replenished all the time, and mosquitoes 

 breed in them in considerable numbers. 



The common mosquito of Japan is Czdex pipiens, and this 

 species was really the only one that occurred in any special 

 numbers and everywhere. Anopheles was found only once in 

 Japan, and then a species (A. sin'ensis Wied.) previously known 

 only from China. Japan is notably free from malaria in spite of 

 the fact that the Japanese live half their time in water in the rice 

 fields and the abominable condition of the city canals and water 

 ways. This fact is very good confirmatory evidence of the neces 

 sity of the Anopheles as a means of conveying this disease. 



The mosquito season begins in Southern Japan early in May. 

 In April no mosquitoes were noticed. The worst period for 

 mosquitoes seems to be June, in my own experience, but the 

 mosquito pest continues, with very little decrease, throughout 

 the summer. The rainy season, with its daily rains and exces 

 sive heat and humidity, may have the effect of somewhat restrict 

 ing the multiplication of the mosquitoes, causing a slight abate 

 ment of the nuisance in the latter part of June and July. 



The mosquito pest in Japan would be unendurable were it not 

 for the very effective mosquito net which is put up in the little 

 Japanese bed room at night. This net (" kaya," from Ka, 

 mosquito) consists of a great square tent of strong green netting, 

 the color being very restful to the eyes. When one is ready to 

 retire for the night, the mattress bed having already been made 

 up on the floor, the mosquito tent is produced and dropped as a 

 big bundle on the middle of the floor. Strong cords run from 

 each of the four corners of the tent and connect with hooks in 

 the corners of the room. One corner after another is pulled out 

 and hooked up high on the walls, so that when all the corners 

 are adjusted the tent is raised from the floor, except a lapping of 

 three or four feet of cloth, and you have a tented room within 

 the room proper nearly as large as the room itself. By this 

 method of lifting the kaya from the floor every mosquito is ex 

 cluded, and throughout the six months' experience in Japan 

 wherever the kaya was used not a mosquito bite was inflicted 

 during the night. The kaya has the advantage also of being very 

 large and roomy, and does not give the shut-in sensation which 

 one gets from little mosquito nets, fitting closely, as they com 

 monly do^ to the bed. One can have a table and write or study 

 within these nets, and be perfectly safe from the myriad of mos 

 quitoes which are swarming outside. IT* getting within the 



