360 CHAPTER L. 



There is by the Danube mouth a snake which 

 devours Mosquitos. A traveller in the Dobrudsha 

 found one of these creatures by his bed-side, and was 

 about to kill it ; but seeing how usefully it was 

 occupied, he spared its life. After a short time this 

 animal became tame enough to take Mosquitos and 

 other insects from his hand. Mr. Barclay does not 

 explain how the snake managed to catch the 

 Mosquitos. As they seldom settle on the floor, it is 

 not easy to see how a reptile could reach them. Why 

 should not some ophiologist introduce this serpent 

 to the Eiviera ? The hotels might then advertise 

 " Snakes in every bedroom ; no extra charge ! " 

 Those who object to snakes might try the Chick 

 Chack (Ptyodactylus), a common lizard of the Malay 

 Archipelago. It is warranted to keep a house clear 

 of Mosquitos. 



The Swedish globe-trotter Sven Hedin was 

 wrought to such a pitch of furious resentment by the 

 attacks of the Lob Nor Mosquitos that he set fire to 

 the whole neighbourhood. Then, as he drew the 

 excellent picture of the conflagration which he gives 

 us in his book, he gloried in the thought that millions 

 of his enemies were being roasted to death. There is 

 certainly a great deal of thoroughness about this 

 method, and it may possibly be found suitable in out- 

 of-the-way places where there are no policemen ; but 

 it would never do to set fire to the Grand Hotel in 

 order to get rid of the Mosquitos ! 



The Arctic explorer, Mr. E. Eae, on the other 

 hand, makes light of Mosquitos. He left Vardo thus 

 equipped : The face smeared with a mixture of oil 

 and tar, in addition to this a coffee-coloured net veil, 



