10 DRAGON FLIP:S VS. MOSQUITOES. 



"Certainly, therefore, any suggestion, however remote, 

 of a means of deereasing the numbers of or exterminating 

 these pests should be followed with all possible skill and 

 patience. I have observed dragon flies gathering in scores 

 arovmd my camp in Minnesota to fec^d on the mosquitoes. 

 I recently saw a dragon fly that had devoured over thirty 

 house flies still voracious for more. Entomologists have 

 observed the larvse of the dragon fly swallowing unde- 

 veloped mosquitoes in large nund)ers. Now, mav we not 

 have in the active, voracious, harmless ' mosquito haw]< ' 

 an agency for greatly diminishing the nund^ers of the 

 smaller insects? 



"Prof. Baird's success in produ(!ing millions of healthy 

 Hsh in a few laboratory boxes and jars; the ])ropagation of 

 silk worms bv scores of millions from ciry^s carried half 

 around the world to Italy; the success of the plan for 

 breedinjj: foreiun bund)le bees in Australasia to fertilize the 

 red clover — these and many other similar facts seem to 

 show that scientiflc methods have reached a stage where it 

 is reasonable t(j hope that a plan may be devised whereby 

 whole tribes of noxious insects may be exterminated by 

 the artificial multiplication of their innoxious enemies. 



"Xot being an entomologist, I have consulted with 

 several distinguished students of that science as to the best 

 means of reaching some practical result in the direction 

 above indicated, and they agree with me that the follow- 

 ing preliminary step may be usefully taken : For the pur- 

 pose of drawing the attention of entomologists to the 

 subject mentioned, I have placed in the hands of Morris 

 K. Jesup, Esq., President of the American Museum of 

 Natnral History, New York City, $200 to be paid by 

 him in three prizes of $150, $30, and $20 for the three 



