350 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
WHERE MUSKETOS COME FROM. 
The musketo proceeds from the animal- 
cul® commonly termed the wiggle-tail. I 
took a bowl of clean water and set it in the 
sun. In a very few days some half a-dozen 
wiggle tails were visible. These continued 
to increase in size until they were about 
3-16ths of an inch in length. As they ap¬ 
proached their maturity, they remained long¬ 
er at the surface, seeming to live in the two 
mediums—air and water. Finally, they as¬ 
sumed a chrysalis form, and, by increased 
specific gravity, sank to the bottom of the 
bowl. Here, in a few hours, I perceived 
short black furze, or hair, growing on every 
side of each, until it assumed the size of a 
minute caterpillar. And thus its specific grav¬ 
ity being counteracted and lightened, it rap¬ 
idly floated to the surface, and the slightest 
breath of air wafted it against the side of the 
bowl. In a very brief space of time after¬ 
wards the warm atmosphere hatched out the 
fly, and it escaped, leaving its tiny house 
upon the water. How .beautiful, yet how 
simple! 
After the water had gone through this 
process, I found it perfectly free from an- 
malculae. I therefore come to the conclu¬ 
sion that this wiggle-tail is a species of the 
shark, who having devoured whole tribes of 
animalculee, takes to himself wings and es¬ 
capes into a different medium to torture man¬ 
kind, and deposit their eggs upon the ivater 
to produce other wiggle-tails, who in turn 
produce other musketos. 
Any man who has “ kept house ” with a 
cistern in the yard has doubtless observed 
the same effect every summer. Open your 
cistern cover any morning in the msuketo 
season and millions of them will fly up in 
your face. Close the windows of yourroom, 
at the risk of being smothered for want of 
air, being careful at the same time previous¬ 
ly to exclude every musketo, and go to bed 
with a pitcher of that same cistern water in 
the room, and enough will breed from it 
during the night to give you any satisfactory 
amount of trouble. In fact, standing by a 
shallow, half-stagnant pool, in a mid-sum¬ 
mer’s day, you may see the wiggle-tails 
becoming perfectly developed musketos, and 
they will rise from the surface of the water, 
and sting you in the face» What it is neces¬ 
sary to know at this day is—has there yet 
been discovered any positive exterminator of 
that infernal pest and disturber of night's 
slumber—the musketo? 
At a recent meeting of the Society of Nat¬ 
ural History, in Boston, Dr. Durkee, of that 
city, exhibited under the miscroscope, the 
rostrum or sting of the common musketo 
(Culk pipiens.) The Doctor remarked that 
one of the most remarkable features in the 
anatomy of the musketo is that the parts 
which constitute the mouth are elongated, so 
as to form a beak or sting extending horizon¬ 
tally, like that of some birds. The beak or 
sting is about half the length of the body, 
and to the unassisted eye appears to be very 
simple in its structure. When examined 
with a microscope, however, it is found to 
be composed of seven different parts, which 
are comparatively stout on one edge. These 
parts vary in length, and can be separated 
from each other without much difficulty. 
They are broad at the upper part where they 
are united to the head, and they gradually 
taper to a point. One of the parts is a tubu¬ 
lar canal or groove, in which the others are 
lodged when the probscis is not in use. Dr. 
D. stated that he had not been able to find 
any appearance of teeth, except on the two 
longest pieces ; in these he had found them 
near the tip. The two longest pieces, also, 
are marked by traverse lines, extending from 
one edge to the other, throughout their whole 
length. 
Cuvier and others state that the male mus¬ 
keto does not suck blood. From repeated 
examinations, Dr. D. has satisfied himself 
that the male has no sting, and consequently 
can not draw blood. The female alone is 
endowed with this organ. The male lives 
upon the juice of flowers and plants. 
Musketoes are propagated only whfere 
there is water. The eggs, deposited in wa¬ 
ter, go through the larva and pupa state, 
small collections of shallow water being 
most favorable for their development. * Most 
of them die in the fall of the year, but some 
hybernate in cellars and other warm re¬ 
treats, supported by the oil which they have 
accumulated during the summer, and with 
which they are distended in the fall of the 
year. 
Natural History of the Locust. —The 
lecust’s favorite resort is that of a copse of 
young and rather thin oak wood, where the 
soil is rather soft and light. They are first 
discovered in the ground near the surface, in 
the form of a large white grub or worm, and 
a quarter of an inch in diameter. Where or 
in what mode they pass through the chrysa¬ 
lis state, and become fully invested with 
wings and other members, I do not know ; 
but they are soon found in vast numbers, and 
in a fuil chorus of sonorous voices, among 
the branches of the small trees. They have 
a distinctly marked W fouud on the back. 
In this stage of their lives they do not seem 
to feed. On opening one, the body appears 
to bn a mere hollow shell, without any feed¬ 
ing or digesting organs. They continue in 
this state, I believe, about six weeks or two 
months. 
Shortly before their disappearance, many 
of the small twigs of young oaks appear to 
be girdled and partially cut off, and hang 
suspended from the extremety of the branch¬ 
es. The leaves turn red as when touched 
by frost in autumn. On examination these 
twigs appear to be sawed about two thirds 
off <<nd girdled, so that—the circulation ofsap 
being cut off—it soon dies, and probably falls 
to the ground during the ensuing winter by 
the action of wind, rain and snow. 
The general belief is that by a curious and 
remarkable instinct, the insect is led to de¬ 
posit its eggs in some secure mode upon 
these small twigs, and then thus partially to 
sever them from the parent stock, so that by 
their fall the eggs shall be borne gently and 
safely to the ground, into whose bosom they 
are in some form received and cherished, to 
reappear in the form of the full-grown locust, 
after the lapse of seventeen years. I am 
not aware that this fact of the deposit of 
eggs upon the falling twig has been verified 
by actual observation; it is one of the points 
which require careful examination .—Boston 
Advertiser. 
PRICES CURRENT. 
Produce , Groceries, Provisions, 4c., 4c", 
Ashes— 
Pot, 1st sort, 1855. 
Pearl, 1st sort, 1855. 
Bristles— 
American, Gray and White 
Beeswax— 
American Yellow. 
100 lb.-® 6 25 
. 6 25®- 
. — 45 ®—50 
. — 26®— 271 
Coal— 
Liverpool Orrel 
K? chaldron-® 8 50 
Scotch....®- 
Sidney.. 5 75 ® 6 — 
Pictou. 5 25 ®- 
Anthracite.ip 2,000 lb. 5 50 ®- 
Cotton Bagging- 
Gunnv Cloth . 
Pyard.— 121®- 
Upland. Florida. Mobile. N. O. 4 Texas 
Ordinary. 9f 9i 9} 91 
Middling. Ill 111 Hi 111 
Middling Fair. 12 12 121 121 
Fair. 121 121 13 131 
Flax— 
Jersey. 
Flour and Meal- 
state, common brands 
State, straight brands. 
State, favorite brands. 
P lb. — 8®- 9 
. 8 12 ®- 
. 8 25 ®- 
. 8 25 ®- 
Western, mixed do.;... 8 50 ®-“ 
Michigan and Indiana, straight do. 8 25 ® 8 50 
Michigan, fancy brands. 8 62 ®- 
Ohio, common to good brands..® 8 50^ 
Ohio, fancy brands..® 8 75 
Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, extra do... 8 75 ®10"— 
Genesee, fancy brands. 8 50 ®—^— 
Genesee, extra brands. 10 50 ®12 — 
Canada,. 8 37 ® 9 75 
Brandywine . 9 25 ® 9 75 
Georgetown. 9 25 ® 9 75 
Petersburg City. 9 25 ® 9 75 
Richmond Country..® 9 50 
Alexandria."...® 9 50 
Baltimore. Howard-Street..® 9 50 
Rye Flour. 6 25 ®- 
Corn Meal, Jersey. 4 50 ®- 
Com Meal, Brandywine. 5 — ®- 
Com Meal, Brandywine.p punch.-®21 50 
Grain- 
Wheat, White Genesee.P bush.-® — 
Wheat, do. Canada, ..® 2 — 
Wheat, Southern, White. 1 95 ® 2 — ■ 
Wheat, Ohio, White. 2 12 ®- 
Wheat, Michigan, White. 2 12 ® 2 15 
Rye, Northern. 1 28 ®- 
Corn, Round Yellow..®— 93 
Com, Round White..® 1 08 
Corn, Southern White..® 1 10 
Com, Southern Yellow..®— 92 
Com. Southern Mixed..®— 90 
Com, Western Mixed..®— 88 
Com, Western Yellow..®- 
Barley. 1 06 ®- 
Oats, River and Canal.— 53 ®- 
Oats, New-Jersey.— 50 ®- 
Oats, Western.— 56 ®- 
Peas, Black-Eyed.pbush. 2 75 ®- 
Hav— 
- North River, in bales. . ® 1 25 
Molasses— 
New-Orleans.Pgall.— 32 ®—35 
Porto Rico.— 30 ®— 35 
Cuba Muscovado..'.— 28 ®—31 
Trinidad Cuba.— 27 ®— 29 
Cardenas. &c..®— 27 
Provisions— 
Beef, Mess, Country,.p bbl. 10 50 ®13 — 
Beef, Mess, City.10 — ®- 
Beef, Mess, extra.16 25 ®17 — 
Beef, Prime. Country, ..® 9 75 
Beef, Prime, City..®11 — 
Beef, Prime Mess.ptce.21 — ®25 — 
Pork, Prime.;.16 12 ®- 
Pork, Clear.20 — ®- 
Pork, Prime Mess...17 50 ®- 
Lard, Ohio, prime, in barrels.P lb.— 10 ®1I — 
Hams, Pickled..®— 9i 
Shoulders, Pickled,. . ®— 7S- 
Rice— , , 
Ordinary to fair. —..P 100 lb 5 25 ® 5 50 
Good to prime . 5 871® 6 25 
Sugar— 
St. Croix...,.pib.- 7®- 
New-Orleans. — 6®— 71 
Cuba Muscovado.— 6 ®— 71 
Porto Rico.— 6 ®— 7 
Havana, White. — 7 ®— 81 
Havana, Brown and Yellow. - 6®— 74 
Tallow— 
American,Prime.P lb.— Ill®- 
Wool— 
American, Saxony Fleece.p lb.— 38 ®— 42 
American, Full Blood Merino.— 36 ®— 37 
American, 1 and 1 Merino.— 30 ®— 33 
American, Native and 1 Merino.— 25 ®— 28 
Superfine, Pulled, Country..— 30 ®— 32 
No. 1, Pulled, Country.— 23 ®— 25 
Terms— (invariably cash before insertion): 
Ten cents per line for each insertion. 
Advertisements standing one month one-fourth less. 
Advertisements standing three months one-third less. 
Ten woids make a line. 
No advertisement counted at less than ten lines. 
SUPERIOR SOUTHDOWN SHEEP.— 
U9 The subscriber would sell a few Yearlings .and Lambs, the 
get of his celebrated imported Prize Ram 112, from ewes which, 
like him, were winners at the Royal Ag. Society Show in Eng¬ 
land, and also from ewes selected from the flock of JONAS 
WEBB, Esq., expressly to be bred to 112. 
He would also sell a few imported Ewes. 
SAMUEL THORNE, 
“Thomedale,” Washington Hollow, 
100tfnl219 Dutchess Co., N. Y. 
T O FARMERS AND OTHERS.—A val¬ 
uable fertilizing MANURE.—A manure made en¬ 
tirely of Animal Matter, Gypsum, and Ammonia, is offered for 
sale by FINDLEY & WAKEFIELD. Manufacturers, us 
cheaper than any manure ever before o ered to the public. It 
is adapted to any crop whatever, and has been used with sismal 
success, upon summer and winter crops, and also for top-dress¬ 
ing. The Proprietors have had experience of the working of it, 
on their own farm, for fourteen years, and can confidentially 
recommend it to give general satisfaction to purchasers. It is 
packed in barrels of 300 lbs. each and will be delivered on board 
any vessel orrailroad in New-York city free of charge, at the 
rate of $25 per tun. Address FINDLEY & WAKEFIELD, 
Brooklvn, N. Y., 
Or apply at the Manufactory, on Sedgwick-st., near Van 
Brunt-st.. South Brooklyn. 97—100ul215 
