380 HOJIE LIFE IN FLORIDA. 



Jager — an extract that will be found very useful to all 

 hunters, whether Florida or otherwise, since they are sure 

 to invade the haunts where mosquitoes ''most do congre- 

 gate." 



' ' A tincture prepared by macerating one part of Pyre- 

 thrum roseiim in four parts of dilute alcohol, and, when 

 diluted with ten times its bulk of water, applied to any 

 part of the body, gives perfect security against mosquitoes 

 and all other vermin. I often passed the night in my boat 

 on the ill-reputed rivers of Siam without any other cover, 

 even without the netting, and experienced not the slight- 

 est inconvenience. The ' buzzing,' at other times so great 

 a disturber of sleep, becomes a harmless tune, and, in the 

 feeling of security, a real cradle-song. In the chase, moist- 

 ening the beard and hands protects the hunter against flies 

 for at least twelve hours, even in spite of the largely in- 

 creased respiration due to the climate." 



The same traveler also refers to the power of the insect 

 (pyre thrum) powder over ants ; and, as these are another 

 of our household foes, sometimes quite troublesome in their 

 persistent visits to pantries and provision closets, we will 

 quote our author once more. 



" Especially interesting is its [pyrethrum powder] action 

 on that plague of all tropical countries, the countless ants. 

 Before the windows and surrounding the whole house where 

 I lived at Albay, on Luzon, was fastened a board six inches 

 in width, on which long caravans of ants were constantly 

 moving in all directions, making it appear an almost 

 uniformly black surface. A track of the powder several 

 inches in width, strewed across the board, or some tincture 

 sprinkled over it, proved an insurmountable barrier to 

 these processions. The first who halted before it, were 

 pushed on by the crowds behind; but immediately, on 

 passing over, showed symptoms of narcosis and died in a 



