MOSQUITOES IN DOMINION

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1929, Page 11

MOSQUITOES IN DOMINION

NUISANCE BUT NOT DANGEROUS.

OPINION’ OF A SCIENTIST.

By Tel-graph.—Press Association

Auckland, Jan. 28.

■Mr. David Graham, entomologist, in a paper read before the biology section of the New Zealand science congress this morning, said that as far as his investigations went it did not appear there were in New Zealand any mosquitoes that transmitted dangerous diseases, but mosquitoes, especially in the north, were a serious annoyance to many people, who suffered real pain, and, in some cases, real illness. The control of the pest was a matter of grave public concern. Stock, particularly dairy stock, suffered severely from the pest, and there was not much doubt that the milk yield was seriously affected.

The Biology section appointed a committee to see what could be done in furthering nature study in schools and to report to the New Zealand Institute. It was also decided to stress the importance of the teaching of nature study and natural science in primary and post-primary schools; to express recognition of the Education Department’s desire to bring about improvements, and to state that a special committee would at all times be willing to confer with officers of the Education Department on the subject.