HABITS IN GENERAL. 85 



FLIES AND MOSQUITOES. 



III. Habits of Insects in Question. 



Flies are the scavengers of the earth and air, mosqui- 

 toes of the water; and both are exceedingly abundant 

 wherever the continents extend from the northern frigid 

 zone to the southern extremities of their great peninsulas. 

 As soon as the rays of the returning sun unclasp winter's 

 icy grip, from every sheltering crack and crevice creep 

 forth hibernating flies, others emerge from their well pro- 

 tected larval cases, while mosquitoes arise in myriads from 

 every marsh and pool — a vast army of Nature's faithful 

 servants — to consume and destroy corruption and render 

 the earth a healthful iiabitation for man. No decaying 

 substance is too trifling to be a nursery for a maggot, 

 no pool or water-holding-stump too limited to afford a 

 domicile to the larvae of a mosquito. Not a day has 

 passed during this present month, November, but I have 

 noticed house flies, singly or in swarms, in my kitchen 

 and dining room flitting around the room as sprightly as 

 if the summer solstice had just commenced, though the 

 dragon fly and all its congeners have for many weeks 

 ceased their aerial flights, and their graceful forms are 

 no longer recognizable. 



TV. Relations to Each Other of the Insects 



IN Question. 



It would seem an unnecessary task to recapitulate the 

 facts above cited relating to the life history of dragon 

 flies, flies, and mosquitoes, to show how impracticable 

 would be the attempt to artificially multiply the former 

 for the purpose of destroying the two latter. So far as 



