﻿322 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  render 
  life 
  a 
  burden. 
  In 
  the 
  frozen 
  regions 
  of 
  the 
  north 
  where 
  winter 
  

   reigns, 
  their 
  numbers 
  have 
  been 
  compared 
  to 
  a 
  snow-storm 
  when 
  the 
  

   flakes 
  fall 
  thickest, 
  or 
  to 
  the 
  dust 
  of 
  the 
  earth. 
  There 
  are 
  localities 
  which 
  

   they 
  are 
  entitled 
  to 
  claim 
  as 
  their 
  own, 
  for 
  explorers 
  have 
  been 
  driven 
  

   back 
  in 
  agony 
  from 
  the 
  attempt 
  to 
  penetrate 
  them. 
  To 
  other 
  localities 
  

   they 
  have 
  given 
  name, 
  as 
  to 
  Mosquito, 
  a 
  township 
  in 
  Illinois; 
  Mosquito, 
  

   a 
  village 
  in 
  Newfoundland 
  ; 
  Mosquito 
  Creek 
  in 
  Indiana, 
  another 
  of 
  the 
  

   same 
  name 
  in 
  Iowa, 
  and 
  still 
  another 
  in 
  Ohio 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  Mosquito 
  Country 
  

   of 
  Central 
  America. 
  In 
  certam 
  districts 
  of 
  Louisiana 
  and 
  other 
  of 
  the 
  

   Southern 
  States, 
  their 
  abundance 
  diminishes 
  by 
  one-half 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  

   plantations. 
  Those 
  who 
  have 
  traveled 
  in 
  summer 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  Missis- 
  

   sippi 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  Northwest, 
  have 
  experienced 
  the 
  torment 
  which 
  these 
  frail 
  

   flics 
  can 
  inflict 
  : 
  at 
  times 
  they 
  drive 
  everyone 
  from 
  the 
  boat, 
  and 
  trains 
  

   can 
  sometimes 
  be 
  only 
  run 
  with 
  comfort 
  on 
  the 
  Northern 
  Pacific 
  rail- 
  

   road 
  by 
  keeping 
  a 
  smudge 
  in 
  the 
  baggage 
  car 
  and 
  the 
  doors 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  

   coaches 
  open 
  to 
  the 
  fumes. 
  "The 
  bravest 
  man 
  on 
  the 
  fleetest 
  horse 
  dares 
  

   not 
  to 
  cross 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  rank 
  and 
  dark 
  prairies 
  of 
  Minnesota 
  in 
  

   June" 
  (Riley). 
  The 
  marsh 
  lands 
  of 
  New 
  Jersey 
  and 
  portions 
  of 
  Long 
  

   Island, 
  you 
  will 
  remember 
  are 
  particularly 
  noted 
  for 
  their 
  abundance, 
  

   and 
  the 
  frequenter 
  of 
  the 
  Adirondacks 
  knows 
  of 
  their 
  powers 
  of 
  annoy- 
  

   ance, 
  as 
  they 
  compel 
  him 
  if 
  particularly 
  sensitive 
  to 
  their 
  sting, 
  to 
  seek 
  

   relief 
  in 
  flight. 
  

  

  It 
  would 
  seem 
  that 
  our 
  English 
  cousins 
  have 
  much 
  less 
  to 
  endure 
  from 
  

   this 
  tormenting 
  pest 
  than 
  we, 
  for 
  Professor 
  Westwood 
  has 
  written 
  : 
  "The 
  

   mosquito 
  is 
  far 
  more 
  annoying 
  in 
  its 
  attacks 
  upon 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  

   America 
  than 
  our 
  European 
  species 
  is 
  to 
  us 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  there 
  requisite 
  to 
  have 
  

   their 
  beds 
  inclosed 
  in 
  a 
  curtain 
  of 
  fine 
  gauze 
  to 
  defend 
  the 
  sleeper 
  from 
  

   their 
  attacks." 
  The 
  Rev. 
  Mr. 
  Kirby, 
  in 
  Jiis 
  delightfully 
  fascinating 
  work 
  

   entitled 
  " 
  Introduction 
  to 
  Entomology," 
  after 
  a 
  graphic 
  recital 
  of 
  the 
  

   torments 
  endured 
  in 
  various 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  world 
  from 
  the 
  mosquito's 
  

   poisonous 
  sting, 
  and 
  the 
  inferential 
  conclusion 
  that 
  it 
  were 
  " 
  a 
  lesser 
  

   terror 
  that 
  the 
  forest 
  should 
  resound 
  with 
  the 
  roar 
  of 
  the 
  lion 
  or 
  the 
  tiger 
  

   than 
  with 
  the 
  hum 
  of 
  the 
  gnat," 
  closes 
  with 
  this 
  pason 
  of 
  gratitude 
  : 
  

   -** 
  With 
  what 
  grateful 
  hearts 
  ought 
  the 
  privileged 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  these 
  

   happy 
  islands 
  to 
  acknowledge 
  and 
  glorify 
  the 
  goodness 
  of 
  that 
  kind 
  

   Providence 
  which 
  has 
  distinguished 
  us 
  from 
  the 
  less 
  favored 
  nations 
  of 
  

   the 
  globe, 
  by 
  what 
  may 
  be 
  deemed 
  an 
  immunity 
  from 
  this 
  tormenting 
  

   pest 
  ! 
  " 
  Evidently 
  the 
  fogs 
  of 
  England 
  and 
  London 
  smoke 
  are 
  not 
  

   agreeable 
  to 
  the 
  mosquito. 
  

  

  