HOUSEHOLD AND STOREHOUSE PESTS. 341 



CHAPTER CCXXXVII. 



The Cockroach. (Cal.) 



{Blatta yermanica. — Linnaius. ) 



Order, Orthoptera ; Family, Blattarid^e. 



[Infesting houses, and feeding upon cloth, etc. ; a flattened 

 reddish-brown six-legged insect.] 



The female cockroach lays her eggs in a reddish-brown elon- 

 gated capsule or pod, each capsule containing about thirty 

 eggs. The young cockroach closely resembles the adult, but 

 is entirely' destitute of wings, although in the adult female the 

 wings are greatly aborted, and are sometimes reduced to short 

 wing-pads. 



These insects are nocturnal in their habits, remaining hidden 

 during the daj'time and coming forth at night to feed. 

 Although they are sometimes very troublesome, yet they par- 

 tially atone for their ill-doings by ridding the house of bed- 

 bugs and similar vermin, which they devour. 



Remedy. — Use No. 121. 



CHAPTER CCXXXVIII. 



The Mosquito. (Cal.) 



(Calex Spf) 



Order, Diptera; Family, Culicid.e. 



[A small two-winged blood-thirsty insect, sometimes very 

 troublesome to both man and beast.] 



It is only the females of this species which manifest the 

 blood-thirsty propensity ; the males are perfectly harmless. 

 The eggs are laid in masses upon the water — usually in some 

 stagnant pool. The young larva (Fig. 351), as soon" as 

 hatched, makes its way to the bottom of the pool, where it 

 acts as a scavenger, by feeding upon the dead and putrefying 

 vegetation. It rises occasionally to the surface for air, which 

 it inhales through a tube situated near the tail. In the course 



