In devising methods of destroying pests, the first thing to be done' is to study their life histories. It so happens that the life history of the mosquito is of unusual interest. The eggs are Jaid on the surface of still, or stagnant, water in the form of a little saucer-shaped raft. There are some 300 of them in a raft, and within a few hours of being laid they hatch out and a swarm of tiny "wrigglers" is sct free into the water. These grow apace. In the larval form the mosquito is elongate, somewhat maggotlike, with a swollen anterior portion. It has what are called tail-tubes at the posterior end of the abdomen, and by means of these the larva hangs, as it were, to the air-surface of the water, breathing. It may be remarked that the larva of Anopheles does not possess these tail-tubes, and when at the surface of the water assumes a horizontal position instead of a more or less vertical position as do the larvae of other species. The mosquito larva is fully grown in ten days' time at which period of its existence it undergoes a change, casting its skin and appearing as a pupa. As pupa it can no longer feed. Its appearance is very different from that of the larva, the anterior) part being very much more swollen, and the abdomen slender. The creature now breathes through two tracheae, or air tubes, on the thorax. It is active, in which particular it differs markedly from the pupa of most insects, which go through a period of quiescence at this stage. For four or five days the pupa wriggles about in the water, and then suddenly splits down its back, the imago, or perfect insect, emerging from its empty shell, A few minutes later the fully fledged mosquito is ready for flight. If it be a femallo it seeks and attacks some warm-blucded animal, if a malo it fritters away its short life in an orgy of love and play. In mosquito land "the female of the species is more deadly than the male" with a vengeance. The male cannot even bite. He may readily be distingnished from his fierce spouse by his feathery antennae, those of the female being almost plain. The insects leave the water, and during the day seek shelter in dark, damp, and shady places, Apparently they cannot stand the fierce rays of the sun, though some forms may be! soon abroad in daylight during cloudy or rainy weather.
But} epanhies is said nev er to fly sibly this habit of seeking dark during the day. It is pos-shelters that leads mosquitoes to show a preference for dark objects. Tt has been found that mosquitoes prefer dark blue or black to other colours, caring least of all for white and khaki.
There is another interesting point about Anopheles og compared with other species. It will not breed in sewage water.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.