REMEDIES AGAINST MOSQUITOES 213 



can be used only in rooms which are not inhabited, or in 

 which the vapors can be permitted to remain for several 

 hours. 



The burning- of pyrethrum powder in such a room, 

 when done in a proper way, will also kill the mosqui- 

 toes or, at least, stupefy them. The pyrethrum powder 

 should be moistened somewhat and moulded into little 

 cones, which are then dried in the oven. When one of 

 these cones is is^nited at its summit l)y a match it will 

 smoulder slowlj^, fillino- the room with smoke, which to 

 most people is not unpleasant, and which smells much 

 like the sticks of punk which boys use to light fire- 

 crackers. This smoke seems to stifle the mosquitoes, 

 which fall to the floor. Two or three of these cones 

 burned in a room in an evening will give relief by stupe- 

 fying the insects, but on a warm summer night they will 

 not take the place of screens, since the windows must be 

 closed in case of any movement of the air, otherwise the 

 smoke is not effective. 



The use of tin cups or inverted can-covers, the shal- 

 lower the better, nailed to the end of a stick and contain- 

 ing a very small quantity of kerosene, is very prevalent in 

 some parts of the country for catching mosquitoes resting 

 on the ceiling. AVliere the ceiling is white, the mosqui- 

 toes can readily be observed and the tin cup is pushed u]) 

 under them. When they attempt to fly they are caught 

 by the kerosene and killed. I have seen dozens of them 

 caught in this way of an evening in a mosquito-infested 

 house. The first time I ever saw the apjiaratus was about 

 1890, in a New Jersey town. When about to retire to my 



