48 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



limited supply kept up for weeks, or even months toj^'elher, it does not seem to favor 

 an early demise. Another interesting question in this connection is, are these hibernat- 

 ing females fertilized before winter sets in, or do the males live over also 1 



It is the prevailing opinion that moso[uitoes live exclusively on animal blood, and 

 yet, probably, not one in a million of them ever gets a taste cf it. It is not reasonable to 

 suppose that the life, even of the mosquito, can be sustained long without food of some 

 sort. Several reports have been made from time to time of a vegetable- feeding species of 

 mosquito having been seen. Is it a separate species, or is it our old acquaintance Culex 

 pipiens indulging in a little of her natural veu;etable diet 1 I once saw a mosquito on 

 the smooth bark of an aspen poplar, seemingly engaged in an effort to extract something 

 out of it, lut with veiy limited .success, so far as the appearance of the abdomen indi- 

 cated, yet it went through all the movements required to make the success complete. If 

 they will attack the hard bark of a tree, how much mora likely is it that they would try 

 the soft stems of succulent plants. When we understand that this is one of the habits of 

 the insect, we see that there is a double reason present why they should seek the cover of 

 rank vegetation, one protection from the direct rays of the sun, which they cannot en- 

 dure ; the other, that they may obtain iood to sustain life, Yet, no matter what amount 

 of vegetable juice they may take, it never slacks their thirst for blood. This the unfortun- 

 ate collector well knows to his cost, when he has been allured in the pursuit of some at- 

 tractive specimens, to the stirring up of a tall and luxuriant clump of weeds in a damp and 

 shady place. 



Many remedies have been suggested for relieving the irritation produced by mosquito 

 bites. The Rev. Mr. Wood says arnica saved him from a vast amount of torture. A 

 wash of ammonia is said by others to give immediate relief. 



To rid the house of their presence in the evening, so as to get peaceful rest at night, 

 all are familiar either by observation or report, with the use of smoke. Indeed, the 

 primitive "Smudge " was the only method available in new settlements ; but now we have 

 a more clean, convenient and etficacious material to use for the same purpose in insect- 

 powder, ' jiyrethrum." Make a little pyramid of the powder about an inch an a half in 

 diameter at the base, on some incombustible material, and ignite it at the top. It will con- 

 sume slowly, producing smoke enough to fill a large room, which will kill or stupify pvery 

 mosquito in it. 



I copy the following from Insect Life, Vol. V., p. 359 : "The Indian Medical 

 Jcarnal for March 16th says that a Bombay newspaper calls attention to the virtues of the 

 castor oil plant as a means of protection against mosquitoes. In Egypt it is planted about 

 houses to drive the insects away. In towns a better plan is to have the growing plants in 

 pots, and bring them into the house for a day or two at a time, but they must not be kept 

 too long in the shade, for Palma Chrisli is a sun-loving plant. A writer is cited as say- 

 ing that the mosquitoes are killed by a poison they find on the lower side of the leaf, but 

 it is stated that if a dozen leaves are placed about a room thet swarms with mosquitoes 

 they will disappear without leaving any dead ones lying about." But vigorous eff'orts 

 should be made in all mosquito-infested localities to reduce as much as possible the oppor- 

 tunity for their breeding. Stagnant water is well-known to be the principle source whence 

 comes the mosquito plague. This, then, should be got rid of as soon as possible. When 

 this cannot be done at once it should be treated with a little coal oil, which will put an 

 effectual stop to their propagation as has been demonstrated by Mr. L. 0. Howard's ex- 

 periment, published in the last Annual Report of the Society, and thus an immense 

 amount of suffering will be saved to man and beast. 



