THE MALARIA MIDDLEMAN. 73 



the foolish habit of floating in the water head downwards, 

 with the extremity of the tail touching the surface of the 

 water ; but when disturbed they at once wriggle to the 

 bottom ; they have no limbs, so must, perforce, wriggle. 

 The highly offensive anopheles larva floats on the surface 

 of the water like a piece of wood ; and when annoyed 

 wriggles along the surface of the water. In the adult forms 

 the differences are more marked. The wings of anopheles 

 are spotted, those of culex are plain. The body of the for- 

 mer is slim and elegant, while that of the less-favoured 

 culex has been described as coarse. When settled on the 

 wall, or other object, anopheles assumes a jaunty attitude. 

 He cocks his tail up into the air in the most haughty man- 

 ner ; while the culex keeps his caudal appendage parallel 

 with the surface on which he is resting a humble posture. 

 As they sit side by side they remind one of the Pharisee 

 and the Publican. 



The mosquito is now attracting so much attention that 

 he bids fair to rival the Colorado Beetle in this respect. 

 Fresh books dealing with the habits of mosquitos, and the 

 methods of destroying them are continually appearing. 

 Expeditions of experts frequently set out for fever-stricken 

 portions of the earth in order to study the doings of the in- 

 sect. Conventions meet to discuss the ways of fighting 

 him. Governments publish the results of the labours of the 

 scientists. Medical men wage war against the carrier of 

 malaria with more or less vigour according to their dis- 

 position. We have a Civil Surgeon on whom the sight of 

 a mosquito has the same effect as that of a red rag on a bull. 

 In vain he preaches to us, urging us to close our tanks and 

 let the flowers in our gardens perish. We are an obstin- 

 ate and stiff-necked people. He therefore sends round 

 once a week a man armed with a kerosene oil tin ; the oil 

 from this is spread one ounce to the square yard is the 

 dose over the surface of every puddle, pool or tank in the 

 neighbourhood of the station. The layer of oil smothers 

 the mosquito larvae. Since the abolition of tanks, ditches, 



