FALL NUMBER 2D 
still). But the problem in most Florida towns is so simple and 
so cheap compared with the interests involved that we feel that 
it is the one largest opportunity for real service to the state now 
before us. The mosquito is the most powerful ‘“‘knocker’ we 
have. Culicid delendus est. 
Many of our boards of trade etc. are spending hundreds or 
even thousands of dollars and much nerve energy in advertising 
their towns. How would it do to spend at least a part of that 
money in eradicating mosquitoes and let every delighted tourist 
and traveling man advertise our town gratis, especially if we are 
going to inaugurate a movement to open the tourist season on 
Oct. 1, the very date when mosquitoes are at their maximum 
abundance ? 
In the review of Applied Entomology (London, Eng.) Vol. 
Mile sen. Bb. Part & p. 141, occurs an abstract of a paper 
by E. Roubaud on the feeding habits of Anopheles in France 
The author states that the malaria mosquito much prefers the 
bloed of cattle, horses and mules to that of man and that malaria 
is on the decrease in those regions where cattle are numerous. 
He thinks, however, that this is a recently acquired habit of the 
mosquitoes. Some observations along this line in Florida would 
be interesting. In any event there is no doubt but that if our 
farmers would keep their horses and mules in a tightly screened 
barn at night and install one of Hodge’s traps in the windows, 
they could greatly reduce the numbers of mosquitoes about the 
premises ; particularly if the house also was well screened. 
THE TOILET OF THRIPS 
There is at least one thing quite humanly feminine about a 
thrips. Her chief concern is for her hairs. When she has noth- 
ing else to do, and frequently when to our masculine minds she 
has many more important duties, she nevertheless elaborately 
brushes and smooths her hairs. There are some minor peculiar- 
ities of behavior necessitated by her anatomical plan. The more 
important hairs are on her wings instead of her head and she 
uses mostly her hind feet for a comb. 
Invariably before she can start on a journey or drop in in her 
neighbor she must comb her hairs. Even in the face of grave dan- 
ger, as the approach of the collector’s needle, she cannot take 
flight until she has combed her hairs. Combed she must be even 
tho the delay proves fatal. 
