MOSQUITOS A DOMESTIC PEST 13 



that these diseases do not exist in a mild form among 

 the native children, and may not break out in an 

 epidemic ? The same applies to malaria as well as 

 to yellow and dengue fevers. Is it certain that the 

 town is quite free from such disease ? 



In addition to this danger, which is surely im- 

 portant enough, the domestic mosquitos are disgust- 

 ing insects that pass their larval lives in cesspools, 

 blocked-up canal-ends, water-butts, and even in the 

 seal water of drains and such-like collections of filthy 

 water ; and the newly hatched flying insects feed on 

 the floating matter found in such water. Then they 

 proceed to suck the blood of the first human being 

 they can find, thrusting their infected proboscides 

 through his skin. The existence of domestic mos- 

 quitos in a town or village should be regarded as a 

 sign of insanitation, and their numbers as a measure 

 of that insanitation. 



Mosquitos are a terrible pest. It is difficult for 

 people at home to realise what a worry they are. 

 While one is working or reading in the evening or 

 trying to write in one's office in the daytime, the 

 Culex or the Stegomyia is biting one's ankles or wrists. 

 Work must be stopped while searching for a fly-flapper 

 or a weapon of some sort. Then ensues a hunt in 

 which the mosquito generally has the best of it. 

 Settle down to read again. " Ping " behind the ear. 

 Fly-flapper again. Then the same hunt no rest, no 

 peace. It is bang, flap, scratch, rub, itch, rub again, 

 complaining incessantly. All work ends. The only 

 restful place is in the mosquito curtain ; but how hot 



