FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 60 



By the latter way, however, it might be difficult to get the services 

 of a competent man. 



Experience has shown in other States that the inspection service 

 greatly reduces the amount of disease, reestablishes confidence and 

 permits the industry to build up again. Such a law should be passed 

 in Montana. 



NOTES ON THE MORE COMMON MOSQUITOES OF MONTANA 



By J. R. Parker 



That mosquitoes have long been troublesome in Montana is 

 shown by referring to the Lewis and Clark Journal. Thus we find 

 the following entries made by Lewis while the expedition was in 

 the Missouri river valley between Canyon Ferry and Lombard : 

 July 13, 1805, "It is impossible to sleep a moment without being 

 defended against these (mosquitoes) most tormenting of all insects." 

 July 19, 1805, "Musquetoes very troublesome to us as usual." On 

 the return trip, while on the lower Yellowstone Captain Clark made 

 the following entries : August 3, 1806, "Last night musquetoes were 

 so troublesom that no one of the party Slept half the night." August 

 4, 1806, "Musquetoes excessively troublesom, so much so that the 

 men complained that they could not work at their Skins and I find 

 it entirely impossible to hunt in the bottoms, those insects being 

 so noumerous and tormenting as to render it impossible for a man 

 to continue in the timbered lands." August 5, 1806, "Musquetoes 

 was so noumerous that I could not keep them off my gun long 

 enough to take sight and by that means Missed." Numerous other 

 references to the "very troublesom musquetoe" indicate that the 

 Lewis and Clark Expedition considered the mosquito as one of the 

 greatest drawbacks to the country through which they were traveling. 



Mosquitoes are probably as abundant or even more abundant 

 at present than they were in the days of Lewis and Clark. Reports 

 are frequently sent to the office of the State Entomologist stating 

 that livestock is kept in poor condition because it is pestered by 

 mosquitoes, and more and more frequently are requests being 

 received for aid in reducing the mosquitoes in the vicinity of towns 

 and cities. 



Acknowledgment is made of indebtedness to Mr. Frederick Knab of the 

 United States National Museum, for the identification of specimens. 



