262 ANIMALS AT WORK AND PLA Y 



during many changes of ownership or occupation. 

 One habit of the beetle, if the observers are correct, 

 itself tends to their destruction. The eggs are 

 carried under the body of the female, and not 

 dropped at hap - hazard. So that if the creatures 

 are once exterminated, their quarters can only be 

 repeopled by immigrants. On the other hand, it is 

 asserted that the cockroach * gums ' its eggs in cases 

 to the walls. Which of the statements is true, the 

 writer has not yet been able to discover. It will 

 be new to many readers that the mosquito is now 

 firmly established in London. It is to be found 

 in certain large hotels which are the resort of 

 visitors coming from the Continent, and the supply 

 seems to be maintained by constant importations 

 from abroad. Visitors who are familiar with the 

 noise and bite of the mosquito assert that it is the 

 true pest in its worst form, and there is no reason 

 for doubting their experiences. A ludicrous mistake 

 in identity on this point recently occurred at a large 

 colliery in the North of England. The men in a 

 distant part of the mine complained that the work- 

 ings were full of ' mosquitos,' and refused to enter 

 the gallery. As it takes something worse than a 

 mosquito to frighten a collier, the manager went 

 down to explore, and discovered, much to his 

 amazement, that the workings were full of huge, 



