6 THE FLORIDA ENTOMOLOGIST 
pensive and would catch bushels as easily as dozens, if they were 
there to catch. They would also be automatic and require no 
attention except to empty when full. Related as they would be 
to the one passion of a mosquito’s life, the thirst for blood, if 
we could protect our domestic animals and ourselves with such 
traps during the hours when mosquitoes are active, we might 
save not only quantities of blood but catch practically all the 
breeding mosquitoes within flying distance. In general it is 
probably true that a mosquito does not produce eggs until she has 
drawn a meal of blood; so this method, if we could cover all the 
local sources of blood supply, might yield practical extermination. 
Quite possibly, too, differences in the mosquito attracting power 
of different animals might help in the good work. A cow, horse 
or mule might be found to attract practically all of the mosquitoes 
away from the wild birds, frogs and toads of a region. Of 
course these latter suggestions apply only to such places, if any 
exist in Florida, where extensive natural breeding waters are 
beyond present possibilities of control and should not be per- 
mitted to confuse or obscure the main point of this discussion. 
This is, that any community in northern Florida and the central 
part of the peninsula can completely rid itself of mosquitoes and 
malaria, at practically no expense, just as soon as it can secure 
the intelligent cooperation of every home in doing away with 
the strictly artificial and domestic breeding places of the pests. 
This does not apply to localities within flying distance for 
migratory species of either the Atlantic or Gulf coasts. 
Beginning at home, the University campus should be made and 
kept absolutely free of mosquitoes. Then Gainesville might well 
be made a shining example and be in a position to tell other cities 
exactly how the work was accomplished. 
The railroads are all bidding for tourists and settlers and if 
the attention of officials were called to this matter, orders from 
headquarters might quickly put a stop to mosquito breeding upon 
their property. 
This is, of course, but a brief summary of the results of my 
first year’s observations on the mosquito-malaria problem in 
Florida. JI am fully convinced, however, that any farm home or 
community that acts on the above suggestions will be most agree- 
ably surprised at the results. At any rate, will it not be good 
common sense to be absolutely sure that all the little domestic 
breeding places are attended to before undertaking expensive 
draining or oiling operations of swamps and ponds? 
(See “Note”, p. 14.) 
