BRITISH BLOODSUCKERS 



247 



B. 



so she is drow 7 ned in the very element which till 



now was the only 



place where she 



could support ex- 



istence. B*f A. 



And here I must 

 say a word in 

 favour of the male 

 as against the 

 female mosquito. 

 In most species, 

 and certainly in 

 the commonest 

 British gnat, the 

 male fly never 

 sucks blood at 

 all, but passes 

 an idyllic vege- 

 tarian existence, 

 which might ex- 

 cite the warmest 

 praise from Mr. 

 Bernard Shaw, in 

 sipping the harm- 

 less nectar of 

 flowers. He has, 

 in point of fact, 

 no weapon to 

 attack us with. 

 He is an unarmed 

 honey - sucker. 

 But the female is very differently minded a Mes- 



NO. 9. HEADS OF MOSQUITOES ; A, THE 

 WHISKERED MALE ; B, THE BLOOD- 

 SUCKING FEMALE, WITH LANCETS 

 EXPOSED ; C, THE FEMALE, BITING 

 A HUMAN HAND. 



