﻿.328 
  NEVv^ 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  have 
  referred 
  to 
  is 
  conveyed 
  into 
  the 
  wound. 
  With 
  these 
  two 
  pieces 
  

   pressed 
  together, 
  a 
  channel 
  is 
  formed 
  through 
  which 
  the 
  blood 
  passes 
  as 
  

   it 
  is 
  pumped 
  up 
  by 
  the 
  sucking-bulb, 
  located 
  in 
  the 
  head. 
  The 
  

   mandibles 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  delicate 
  of 
  the 
  mouth-parts, 
  consisting 
  only 
  of 
  

   thin, 
  linear-lanceolate 
  blades 
  of 
  transparent 
  chitin, 
  slightly 
  tapering 
  in 
  

   their 
  width 
  from 
  their 
  base 
  outwardly. 
  The 
  existence 
  of 
  very 
  fine 
  

   serrations 
  on 
  their 
  upper 
  part 
  (about 
  forty-two 
  on 
  each) 
  has 
  lately 
  been 
  

   announced.* 
  

  

  The 
  maxillce 
  are 
  tapering, 
  transparent 
  blades 
  of 
  chitin, 
  thickened 
  on 
  

   its 
  upper 
  edge 
  and 
  apparently 
  toothed 
  or 
  serrated 
  at 
  the 
  tip. 
  Careful 
  

   observation 
  with 
  a 
  powerful 
  microscope 
  shows 
  them 
  to 
  be 
  not 
  serrated 
  at 
  

   the 
  edge, 
  but 
  the 
  apparent 
  teeth 
  — 
  about 
  fifteen 
  near 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  each, 
  are 
  

   really 
  papillse 
  placed 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  blade. 
  Aided 
  by 
  these 
  

   papillae, 
  the 
  service 
  performed 
  by 
  the 
  maxillae 
  is 
  doubtless 
  to 
  draw 
  

   the 
  other 
  mouth 
  parts 
  into 
  the 
  skin, 
  as 
  a 
  slow 
  gliding 
  motion 
  may 
  

   be 
  observed 
  in 
  first 
  one 
  and 
  then 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  as 
  all 
  the 
  parts 
  are 
  

   gradually 
  buried. 
  They 
  are 
  provided 
  with 
  muscles 
  appropriate 
  for 
  the 
  

   purpose. 
  

  

  The 
  labium 
  is 
  the 
  largest 
  of 
  the 
  mouth-parts. 
  It 
  opens 
  along 
  its 
  upper 
  

   side 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  receive 
  the 
  other 
  parts 
  and 
  to 
  serve 
  as 
  a 
  sheath 
  for 
  holding 
  

   and 
  protecting 
  them 
  when 
  not 
  in 
  active 
  use. 
  When 
  the 
  proboscis 
  is 
  to 
  

   be 
  inserted, 
  it 
  acts 
  in 
  this 
  manner 
  : 
  Its 
  tip, 
  consisting 
  of 
  two 
  lobe-like 
  

   appendages 
  called 
  labellce, 
  is 
  closely 
  pressed 
  upon 
  the 
  surface. 
  At 
  once 
  

   it 
  is 
  seen 
  to 
  bend 
  backward 
  or 
  downward 
  at 
  the 
  middle, 
  releasing 
  the 
  

   contained 
  parts 
  — 
  the 
  setae 
  — 
  which 
  are 
  held 
  firmly 
  together 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  

   driven 
  into 
  the 
  flesh, 
  guided 
  and 
  kept 
  in 
  place 
  by 
  the 
  above 
  named 
  

   labelled 
  serving 
  as 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  fingers 
  for 
  the 
  purpose. 
  As 
  they 
  penetrate 
  

   deeper 
  and 
  deeper, 
  the 
  labium 
  or 
  sheath 
  bends 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  until 
  

   when 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  buried 
  to 
  nearly 
  their 
  entire 
  length 
  — 
  from 
  having 
  

   been 
  at 
  first 
  elbowed, 
  it 
  is 
  now 
  bent 
  double 
  beneath 
  the 
  body. 
  

  

  The 
  operation 
  as 
  above 
  described 
  is 
  an 
  exceedingly 
  interesting 
  one 
  to 
  

   watch. 
  The 
  labium 
  is 
  easily 
  recognizable 
  in 
  any 
  female 
  mosquito 
  that 
  

   you 
  will 
  examine, 
  appearing 
  as 
  a 
  long 
  projected 
  beak, 
  nearly 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  

   the 
  abdomen, 
  clothed 
  with 
  dark 
  colored 
  scales, 
  and 
  extending 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  

   the 
  two 
  delicately 
  feathered 
  antennae 
  given 
  out 
  from 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  

   large 
  black 
  eyes. 
  

  

  The 
  relative 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  mouth-organs 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  briefly 
  des- 
  

   cribed, 
  and 
  the 
  manner 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  arranged 
  in 
  the 
  sheath, 
  may 
  be 
  

  

  *Atnericit>i 
  Naturalist, 
  xxii, 
  i383, 
  p. 
  8S4. 
  

  

  