﻿332 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  presence, 
  under 
  suitable 
  conditions, 
  produce 
  the 
  painful, 
  loathsome, 
  and 
  

   often 
  fatal 
  disease 
  of 
  elephantiasis. 
  (See 
  Science, 
  for 
  May 
  i8, 
  1883, 
  i, 
  

   pp. 
  419-420, 
  for 
  an 
  extended 
  notice 
  and 
  illustration.) 
  

  

  The 
  Mosquito 
  Perhaps 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  Ten 
  Plagues 
  of 
  Egypt. 
  

  

  Professor 
  Westwood, 
  of 
  London, 
  an 
  eminent 
  entomologist, 
  and 
  the 
  

   author 
  of 
  a 
  volume 
  on 
  insects 
  of 
  such 
  exceeding 
  value 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  known 
  

   as 
  " 
  The 
  Entomologist's 
  Bible," 
  has 
  endeavored 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  mos- 
  

   quito 
  was 
  the 
  insect 
  that 
  composed 
  the 
  " 
  swarms 
  of 
  flies 
  " 
  that 
  were 
  

   sent 
  upon 
  Pharaoh 
  and 
  his 
  people 
  as 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  /^« 
  plagues 
  of 
  Egypt. 
  

   In 
  evidence 
  of 
  this, 
  he 
  cites 
  the 
  expression 
  " 
  swarms 
  of 
  flies," 
  and 
  

   remarks: 
  "We 
  are 
  sure 
  that 
  every 
  one 
  who 
  has 
  seen 
  a 
  swarm 
  of 
  gnats 
  at 
  

   eventide, 
  will 
  perceive 
  the 
  aptness 
  of 
  the 
  expression, 
  supposing 
  the 
  

   Egyptian 
  fly 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  gnat, 
  or 
  in 
  other 
  words, 
  the 
  mosquito. 
  

   We 
  next 
  read 
  of 
  their 
  making 
  their 
  way 
  into 
  the 
  houses, 
  which 
  shall 
  be 
  

   full 
  of 
  flies. 
  This 
  is 
  also 
  precisely 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  Culicidce'"' 
  The 
  

   distinguished 
  Doctor 
  of 
  Science 
  (like 
  an 
  eminent 
  Doctor 
  of 
  Divinity 
  of 
  

   our 
  own 
  city), 
  evidently 
  favors 
  ''a 
  reduction 
  of 
  the 
  miraculous 
  in 
  the 
  

   Bible 
  to 
  the 
  minimum," 
  and 
  a 
  non-resort 
  to 
  a 
  miraculous 
  interpretation 
  

   of 
  such 
  phenomena 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  explained 
  by 
  natural 
  causes 
  ; 
  for 
  he 
  finds 
  

   the 
  fullest 
  corroboration 
  of 
  his 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  mosquito 
  being 
  the 
  plague 
  

   insect, 
  in 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  land 
  of 
  Goshen, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  Israel 
  

   dwelt, 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  exempt 
  from 
  the 
  swarms 
  of 
  flies 
  that 
  invaded 
  the 
  land 
  

   of 
  the 
  Egyptians. 
  The 
  latter, 
  he 
  remarks, 
  was 
  subject 
  to 
  a 
  periodical 
  

   overflow 
  of 
  the 
  Nile 
  — 
  a 
  condition 
  most 
  favorable 
  to 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  

   mosquitoes; 
  while 
  the 
  land 
  of 
  Goshen, 
  was 
  not 
  overflowed 
  and 
  was 
  a 
  

   sandy 
  soil 
  entirely 
  unsuited 
  to 
  the 
  mosquito, 
  and 
  even 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  

   time, 
  a 
  favorite 
  place 
  of 
  refuge 
  for 
  cattle 
  from 
  its 
  attack. 
  

  

  Others, 
  who 
  have 
  written 
  of 
  this 
  plague, 
  entertain 
  different 
  views 
  — 
  

   among 
  which. 
  Rev. 
  Mr. 
  Kirby, 
  finds 
  strong 
  evidence 
  of 
  its 
  having 
  con- 
  

   sisted 
  of 
  cockroaches. 
  Opinions 
  might 
  differ 
  as 
  to 
  which 
  would 
  be 
  the 
  

   greater 
  plague. 
  

  

  Eggs 
  of 
  the 
  Mosquito. 
  

  

  The 
  transformations 
  of 
  the 
  mosquito, 
  to 
  which 
  we 
  now 
  pass, 
  are 
  of 
  

   much 
  interest, 
  as 
  I 
  hope 
  to 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  show 
  you. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  eggs 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  proportion 
  of 
  our 
  insects, 
  either 
  from 
  their 
  

   form, 
  color-markings, 
  sculpture, 
  or 
  manner 
  of 
  deposit, 
  offer 
  many 
  

   attractive 
  features, 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  mosquito 
  possess 
  special 
  and 
  unusual 
  

   interest 
  from 
  the 
  singular 
  disposition 
  made 
  of 
  them. 
  

  

  