BRITISH BLOODSUCKERS 



247 



A. 



B. 



so she is drowned in the very element which till 

 now was the only 

 place where she 

 could support ex- 

 istence. 



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 " j 

 flowers. He has, 

 in point Of tact, N0 _ ^ HEADS OF MOSQUITOES; A, THE 

 no weapon to WHISKERED MALE ; B, THE BLOOD- 



att'ick US with SUCKING KKMALE, WITH LANCETS 



EXPOSED ; C, THE FEMALE, BITING 



He is an unarmed A HUMAN HAND 



honey -sucker. 



But the female is very differently minded a Mes- 



