1883 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
295 
rough, narrow pathway that wound around on the 
edge of the deep ravine. Almost on his hands and 
knees, Walter followed, clutching at every weed 
and drooping branch to stay himself, and the last 
ten feet of the way, rolled over and over until he 
at last lay on the grass at the foot 
of the hill, covered with dust, but 
fortunately quite unhurt. Carl, 
poor boy, had strained his ankle, 
but the cow was safe, and he felt 
quite happy as he li 'ped along 
toward Crescent Farm. They were 
met at the gate by Farmer Dun¬ 
ham, who almost hugged “Sally” 
in his joy, and chuckled immensely 
at the way the boys had eluded 
the gypsies. “The money was 
well earned,” he said, as he open¬ 
ed his pocket-book and produced 
a crisp greenback. “But what 
are you going to do with it ? ” 
“ Buy another pig for mother,” 
replied Carl, promptly; “and if 
you have a nice plump one for 
sale, I would like to take it in¬ 
stead of the bill.” Mr. Dunham 
led the way to his well-stocked 
pens, and they soon picked out a 
good-sized pig, even larger and 
fatter than the lost “Grunter,” 
and in much triumph drove him 
down the road toward the white 
cottage. Who can tell the pride 
and pleasure of their mother and 
Rosie, when a cheerful grunt was 
once more heard amidst the cab¬ 
bages, and when the following 
winter they enjoyed the nice ham 
and sausages, how often they re¬ 
called the rescue of Farmer Dun¬ 
ham's “ Sally! ” 
Carl’s ankle was soon cured, and 
as the frogs brought a good price, 
he before long had the pleasure 
of going into the next town, and 
buying for Rosie the prettiest pair 
of shoes in the shop ; while Mrs. 
Breeze declared that no boys in 
the village could compare with 
her sons, Carl and Walter, for courage and smart¬ 
ness, or for kindness to their mother and sister. 
After wriggling about for two weeks, and chang¬ 
ing their skins several times, 
'Fite Larva Becomes a, Pupa. 
You know that most insects in the pupa state do 
THE CHANGES IN THE LIFE OF THE MOSQUITO. 
The Doctor’s Talks, 
If the mosquito were a very rare insect, found 
only in some far-off country, we should look upon 
it as one of the most curious of living creatures, 
and read its history with wonder—that an animal 
could live two such very different lives, one in the 
water and the other in the air. We speak of the 
mosquito as if there were but one, while really 
there are over thirty different kinds, all, however, 
having similar habits, so that a description of one 
answers for all. The female mosquito lays her 
eggs on the water. 
Slic Forms a Little Boat, 
gluing the eggs together side by side, until she 
has from 250 to 350 thus fastened together. The 
boat or raft is oval in shape, highest at the ends, 
and floats away merrily for a few days. The eggs 
then hatch, and the young mosquito enters the 
water, where the early part of its life is to be pass¬ 
ed. You can find the young insects in this, their 
larval stage, in pools of fresh water, or even in a 
tub of rain-water which has been standing uncov¬ 
ered for a few days. 
They sire Culled Wrigglers, 
on account of the droll way in which they jerk 
about through the water. They feed upon very 
minute creatures, and also upon decaying vegeta¬ 
ble matter. Near the tail the wriggler has a tube 
through which it breathes. If you approach the 
pool or tub very quietly, you can see them in great 
numbers, heads downward, with their breathing 
tube above the surface. If you make the least dis¬ 
turbance, they will 9camperdown into deep water. 
not move, but take a sleep of greater or less 
length. Not so the lively little mosquito. In its 
pupa state it becomes a big-headed creature which 
does not eat. It moves about quite rapidly, but 
not with the same wriggling motion; it now has a 
pair of paddles at its tail end, which cause it to 
most, and they take in air through tubes near the 
head. In five or ten days the mosquito ends its 
life in the water, and 
Becomes n Winged Insect. 
The pupa comes to the surface, and the skin 
cracks open on the back, allowing first its head and 
chest to come forth, and finally the legs, wings, 
and the rest. This is a most trying moment in the 
life of the insect: if a slight puff of wind should 
upset it before the wings are dry, it will surely 
drown; only a small proportion of the whole num¬ 
ber succeed in safely leaving the pupa case, the 
greater share become food for the Ashes. If the 
wings once get fairly dry, then the insect can sail 
away, humming its tiny song of gladness. 
Mow Does it Sing ? 
Perhaps when you heard its note at night you 
did not stop to consider. It is a point which has 
puzzled many naturalists, and it is not certainly 
known how the note is produced, but probably the 
rapid motion of the wings and the vibration of the 
muscles of the chest are both concerned in it. The 
most interesting part about the insect—the “ busi¬ 
ness part,” as some one has called it—is its sting, 
or sucker. This is not a simple, sharp-pointed 
tube, but consists of six parts, which lay together 
in a sheath, and are used as one. How sharp these 
must be to go through our skin so easily ! After 
the puncture is made, it then acts as a sucker to 
draw up the blood. The insect which visits us is 
the female. We rarely see the male mosquito. 
Blood is not necessary to the existence of the 
mosquito, and probably but a small share of them 
ever taste it. The countries in which mosquitoes 
live in greatest numbers—actual clouds—are not 
inhabited, and there are but few animals. 
The Doctor. 
The Monkey and the Money. 
Monkeys not only strangely resemble the human 
race in appearance, but they have many human 
ways. We often meet with persons, not merely 
boys and girls, but young men and young women, 
whose only reason for doing this or that is because 
some one else does it. Such persons would not 
like to be called monkey-like, yet they show one 
of the strongest traits of the monkey—imitation. 
That monkeys have a strong disposition to imitate 
the actions of men is well known, and many stories 
are told of this feature of monkey character. It 
is said that after a shipwreck, a sailor, the only one 
of the crew who was saved, found himself in a 
THE MONKEY WITH THE POCKET BOOK. 
tumble and roll over in the water. In this state 
these tumblers move head foremost, and when they 
go to the surface to breathe, the head is upper¬ 
strange country. Being hungry, and seeing some¬ 
thing on the beach, he examined it in the hope that 
it might contain food of some kind. After much 
