CHAPTER II 



THE LIFE AND HABITS OF DOMESTIC MOSQUITOS 



BEFORE attempting to exterminate an animal or 

 an insect, something must be known of its habits and 

 ways. During the past few years much has been 

 learned concerning mosquitos ; but there still re- 

 mains much that is not known. 



It is only the female mosquito which sucks blood. 

 This statement has been called in question, but in 

 all probability it is correct. The male mosquito 

 has a proboscis that is hardly framed for the purpose 

 of piercing the skin. Certain authorities have 

 claimed that they have seen a male mosquito of one 

 or two species sucking blood like the female insect ; 

 but if such a thing does occur, it must be very rare. 

 Of the great number of mosquitos examined and 

 dissected by the author, on no occasion was a male 

 found that had blood in its stomach. The mosquito 

 differs in this respect from the flea. Both the male 

 and female fleas live on blood. But with mosquitos, 

 blood is not the only food. Both sexes will thrust 

 their proboscides into various substances ; and so 

 far as the domestic species are concerned, the filthier 

 that substance is, the more it is enjoyed. But the 

 fecundated female seems to require blood for the 



24 



