488 
not  appreciated.  In  looking  over  a  very  old  history  of  Jamaica,  in 
three  volumes,  published  by  T.  Lowndes  in  1774,  a  hundred  and 
thirty-five  years  ago,  written  by  one  Edward  Long,  though  his  name 
does  not  appear  on  the  title  page,  the  following  passages  occur  :  — 
'  In  the  West  Indies  such  low  swampy  places  are  still  more  fatal, 
‘  and  they  are  infected  with  muskeetos  which  seem  as  if  placed  there 
‘  by  the  hand  of  Providence  to  assault  with  their  sting  and  drive  away 
‘  every  human  being  who  may  ignorantly  venture  to  fix  his  abode 
‘  among  them.  It  is  most  dangerous  to  pass  the  night  in  such  places, 
‘  and  it  is  at  such  times  that  these  insects  collect  in  swarms  and  make 
‘  war  on  every  daring  intruder.  .  .  .  Such  places  in  Jamaica  are 
‘  to  be  deemed  unfit  for  habitation.’ 
And,  later  on,  the  author  again  remarks  :  — 
‘  It  has  been  observed  that  muskeetos  are  intolerably  numerous  in 
‘  those  places  in  the  West  Indies  which  are  least  adapted  to  human 
‘  habitation.  They  are  found  in  the  greatest  swarms  among  lagoons 
‘  and  swamps  on  the  sea  coast,  and  in  little  creeks  sheltered  with 
‘  mangrove  trees ;  in  gullies  which  contain  any  stagnant  water,  in 
‘  puddles  in  the  flat  country  after  the  rainy  seasons,  and  in  river 
‘  courses  after  the  dry  weather,  where  the  water  rests  in  detached 
‘  hollows  and  becomes  corrupted  from  the  fermentation  of  aquatic 
‘  weeds  and  subsided  scum.  Sometimes  I  have  known  them  driven 
‘  from  their  skulking  holes  by  the  violence  of  strong  sea  breezes  to  a 
‘  considerable  distance  up  the  country ;  but  in  general  among  the 
'  mountains  they  are  scarce,  very  diminutive  and  feeble.  They  are 
‘  principally  troublesome  and  in  swarms  after  the  periodical  rains, 
‘  when  the  lowlands  are  drenched  with  water  and  full  of  little 
‘  puddles,  where  these  insects  deposit  their  eggs  and  multiply  and 
'  breed . These  insects  cannot  exist  long  nor  propagate 
‘  their  species  well  without  stagnant  water.  Dry  weather,  dry 
‘  exposure,  and  a  cool  air  are  equally  obnoxious  to  them ;  their 
‘  favourite  haunts,  therefore,  and  such  as  seem  most  to  promote  their 
‘  multiplication,  are  to  be  rejected  as  the  least  fit  (in  proportion)  for 
'  mankind  to  inhabit,  at  least  during  those  months  of  the  year  when 
‘  they  appear  most  vigorous  and  numerous.’ 
Our  old-world  author  has  mentioned  nearly  every  place  where 
Anophelines  are  now  known  to  breed,  and  came  very  near  anticipating 
the  mosquito  causation  of  malaria ! 
