THE MOSQUITO 21 



are the males. The females have comparatively few hairs on the 

 antennse. It is believed that the mosquito hears by means of these 

 antennal hairs. In addition to the antennse, observe the long, 

 slender, sucking beak, with which the female mosquito pierces the 

 skin of animals to suck their blood. If mosquitoes cannot find ani- 

 mals then they live on the sap of plants. How many wings haa 

 the mosquito? How many pairs of legs? Most insects have foui 

 wings, but the mosquito has a pair of little knobbed projecting 

 processes instead of hind wings. These knobbed processes are 

 called balancers and they are believed to aid the mosquito in 

 directing its flight. 



The details of structure to which I have called attention are, 

 perhaps, the ones of most interest; but the examination of the 

 bodies of the wrigglers and winged mosquitoes will bring forth 

 many questions on the pait of the pupils, and the teacher can call 

 attention to much of the general structural condition of the insect 

 body. 



