The Pond-Meadow. 95 



other depending solely upon the energy of his arms, and 

 also, very likely, upon whiffs of tobacco smoke, to keep 

 the armed enemy at a distance. But like the little red 

 savages in Sindbad's voyage, they made up in numbers 

 what they lacked in individual strength, and he that was 

 provided with the net, led his unfortunate companion home 

 by the hand, where proper anointment and time reduced 

 the swellings. 



In those pestiferous days, the cornice in rooms in daily 

 use became so covered by mosquitoes, that it appeared 

 black or brown, and after the third or fourth day, when 

 they commenced to die, they were swept up in numbers 

 on the floor. Though there have been mosquito years 

 since 1863 — 1882 being a representative of the series, still 

 there has been nothing equal to the great visitation. 



Mosquitoes even attack turtles, and I have observed 

 about a yellow-spotted water-turtle, quite a cloud of them 

 that wished to suck his half warm blood. Sitting on a 

 fence one day, I saw a tiny ribbon-snake in the grass, and 

 running to see it closer, found that it had hidden away. 

 After a time it moved and glided rapidly through the grass 

 stems. I picked it up and put it in my straw hat, and it 

 was so small that it had difficulty in getting out again. A 

 mosquito discovered it and tried very hard to get its pro- 

 boscis in between the scales, but finally gave it up and 

 came to me. 



Both the male and female mosquitoes congregate on the 

 flowers of the wild parsnip, and I have seen individuals 

 greatly swollen with the white juice that they had extracted 

 therefrom. They are also fond of the sugar mixtures that 



