3I0SQUIT0ES IN GENERAL 23 



marsh, but the balance of that section was very dry and needing 

 rain, and there Avere no mosquitoes. A fairly strong easterly wind 

 had been blowing for three days ; on the evening of the third day 

 the mosquitoes arrived, Hying high, about fifty feet, and looking 

 like a cloud or mist coming over Carancahua Bay. At the ranch 

 they set everything on fire that had blood in it, and all work was 

 suspended by unanimous consent. Cattle and horses rounded-up 

 milled continuously ; all work stock was turned loose as quick as 

 possible and they went to the round-ups at full speed, and little 

 or nothing was done for nearly five days ; by this time the main 

 body had passed, though plenty remained to make everything 

 uncomfortable for about two weeks. This migration was from 

 east to west and the line was about three miles wide — above and 

 below this there were no mosquitoes. 



Migration No. 2 occurred in October, 188G. They came from 

 the same marsh before described — this migration confined itself 

 to the Matagorda Bay shore line, reaching inland about half a 

 mile ; there were as many mosquitoes in this limit as there were in 

 the three miles of migration No. 1. They clouded the sky, bent 

 down the grass with their weight, and made all driftwood and 

 ground the same color. All stock left the shore and went north 

 outside of the line of marsh. The wind was light and from the 

 south, and did not affect the mosquitoes in their flight, which was 

 westward ; the main flight was low, ten or twelve feet high and 

 always in the same direction. With three other men I rode into 

 the swarm to a large pile of drift and trash and set it on fire, and 

 stood in the smoke for some time watching them. They passed 

 sometime during the third day, leaving very few stragglers be- 

 hind. By inquiry, I traced botli of these swarms from the marsli 

 before described to fifteen or twenty miles west of my ranch, a 

 total distance, air line, of fifty or sixty miles. 



No. 1 crossed Trupalacios Bay, where it was five miles wide, and 

 Carancahua Bay, where it was one mile wide. No. 2 holding to 



