118 DRAGON FLIES VS. MOSQUITOES. 



the mosquito. These instrumentalities I regard as of very 

 considerable importance, and amongst natural remedies 

 place them as the equivalents, and, possibly, of more inter- 

 est than the dragon fly. For in this connection it must 

 be remembered that a method which attacks at its incep- 

 tion is more likely to lead to radical results than one ap- 

 plied later, after the scourge has reached considerable 

 dimensions and is not so readily grasped. If the larval 

 stages of the mosquito can be reached effectively we have 

 nipped the disorder, as it were, in the bud. It is true 

 that distinguished entomologists state that the dragon fly 

 in its water life attacks and destroys the larvse of the mos- 

 quito, but I have no information on that point, though, 

 from the manner in M'hich the larvae of the dragon fly 

 destroy each other, it seems probable that their carnivo- 

 rous propensities might lead them to attack the young of 

 mosquitoes. Yet, in this case, I think the injury inflicted 

 on mosquitoes would be slight, and the larger number 

 would escape. But young and old fish, and also aquatic 

 birds, will devour them in great numbers where they oc- 

 cur in large masses, and the cultivation of these denizens 

 of our pools and lakes is, therefore, most advisable, as 

 striking means for the diminishment of these pests. 



Mr. Ludwig Riederer, of New York, informs me that 

 he has dissected a fish caught in a fresh water lake, and 

 found in its stomach hundreds of mosquito larvae and 

 pupae. 



I said in the discussion of the problem (ante) that we 

 might find it well to use some remedies, in some circum- 

 stances, that would preclude the use of others equally 

 eifective, while these latter would be again valuable under 

 different conditions. Here is an illustration : Aquatic 



