1903 ENTOMOLOGICA.L SOCIETY. 83 



MOSQITITOES. 



The level wooded country of the Abitibi region abounds in swamps, marshes and muskegs, 

 which form ideal breeding places for mosquitoes, and mosquitoes are there in millions. They 

 proved to be the most troublesome pests which we encountered during our trip. The proverbial 

 busy bee which labors all day long is not to be compared with them. They are busy — 

 exceedingly busy — 24 hours a day. They began to be very annoying soon after we took to our 

 canoes at Metagama and from that time until we reached Mattawa on our return there was no 

 respite. It would be practically impossible to convey an adequate idea of the suffering w hich we 

 were obliged to undergo from their attacks, and no application of oil or salve to our hands and 

 faces seemed to have any effect in keeping them off. 



Each night after pitching our tent and banking it around with earth to keep the mosquitoes 

 from entering at the bottom we started a smudge to drive out those within. Then after 

 entering and carefully closing the tent, we burned insect powder which seemed to stupefy 

 them and drive them to the walls, where we scorched numbers of them with candles. We then 

 betook ourselves to our blankets and to sleep, only to awake within an hour to find them as 

 numerous as ever, and as hungry. After a few nights' experience we learned that a smudge 

 only cau.sed them to .settle on the ground among the grass and moss, where they remained 

 un'il the smoke escaped, and then began their ravages again. On making this discovery we 

 tried ('riving them out by using coats or other clothing as batons, and we found this more 

 effectual. 



On one occasion my powers of endurance were severely tested when I undertook to make 

 brt-ad while the other members of the party were out of camp. When I got both hands into 

 the dough the mosquitoes took advantage of the opportunity and pounced upon my defenceless 

 head. At another time we were obligedto spend a night among the'islands on Nighthawk 

 L\ke. We pitched our tent and made preparations for the night, but after vain attempts to 

 sleep we were forced to paddle to another island in search of a place where the mosquitoes 

 were not so numerous. After travelling from island to island for some hours we finally 

 landed on a very small island of bare rock, where the wind had a free sweep Here we spent 

 the remainder of the night in comparative peace. We repeatedly observed that the mosquitoes 

 were not so troublesome when there was a breeze blowing. Although they were very annoying 

 at all times they were probably most active on cloudy days and at a temperature ranging from 

 4n° to 70° F. They were more numerous on land than on water, but we were always 

 accompanied by a swarm even when far from shore. They a[ pear early in June and continue 

 until September frosts. 



I was surprised that we did not occasionally meet with Indians in the woods. On inquiry 

 I learned that they never hunt during the summer months when flies and mosquitoes are out, 

 but congregrate at the forts where they can protect themselves to some extent from the insects 

 by building smudges, thus keeping the atmosphere constantly ladened with smoke. Even the 

 dogs have learned to creep close to the smudges for protection. If the Indians, who have 

 inhabited these legions forages, find it impossible to go abroad duiing fly season, imagine 

 what we poor unacclimatized pale-faces must have suffered. Sometimes the mosquito bites 

 M'ere postively agonizing. One day when some distance from camp we wished to cook some 

 fish for dinner. We had but a single match and while I was trying to light the fiie with this 

 a mosquito bite caused me such ins* ant pain that dropped the match, and we were obliged to 

 content ourselves w ith a cold meal. 



It was part of my duty to make careful notes of my observations of animals, insects, plants, 

 and soils as we travelled. I found this a most difficult task as the mosquitoes were such 

 a constant annoyance. Let it be remembered that while the hands and face were the special 

 points of attack, the mostiuitoes did not limit themselves to these exposed parts, but would. 



