ADAPTATION FOR THE INDIVIDUAL 97 



assiduous. Alternately raising and lowering- her lan- 

 cets from either side, she pierces, then saws, her way 

 down through the flesh until she has buried her in- 

 struments in her victim and her head rests against 

 her prey. Now a pumping motion of the abdomen 

 will be apparent, and this continues its accordion-like 

 action until it becomes more and more distended. The 

 insect only gives up its task when the entire abdomen 

 is swollen into a great red ball of blood. The 

 mosquito will now slowly withdraw its instruments 

 and retire from the scene, if permitted to do so. If 

 there is any fear of annoyance from the bite, a drop 

 of ammonia immediately applied will counteract any 

 irritation which would have been produced by the 

 saliva of the mosquito. The insect is not intentionally 

 vicious in this procedure. It is simply gathering its 

 own natural food, though this does not make it less 

 annoying to us since we are its victims. The swell- 

 ing produced after the bite is the result of the action 

 of the saliva the mosquito injected into the wound. 

 The opening through the tongue is so small that blood 

 would readily clot inside the tube and prevent its fur- 

 ther usefulness, did not the mosquito inject the secre- 

 tion of its salivary glands into the wound. This acts 

 upon the blood in such a way as to prevent its coagu- 

 lation. 



Anyone who thinks carefully can add numberless 



