CAN THE MOSQUITO BE EXTERMINATED? 147 



destruction wrought to mosquitoes by spiders' webs ; for 

 it is a fact that, even after the aranead has satisfied its 

 appetite, its snare continues to capture insects. On one 

 occasion I took the pains to count the number of insects 

 of various species upon one large web, which was spread 

 in a favorable position, and found that there were two 

 hundred and thirty-six. It is a most common thing to 

 observe three, four, or ludf a dozen flies or other insects 

 trussed up upon the viscid orb of some of our orbweav- 

 ing species. It is needless to add the conclusion from the 

 above facts : if people would decrease the numl)er of 

 mosquitoes, let them encourage the multiplication of 

 spiders. 



The writer of this paper has not aimed to enter 

 learnedly or exhaustively upon the subject, but simply to 

 give a few hints by way of indicating the lines along 

 which we may successfully consider the question, Can the 

 mosquito be exterminated ? 



