The Argosy, March 1907 — page 169: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

< pe - =e LA iW fi vayvile , a! Ae ; fd ‘ay | te, sh, 4 4 We) ae § ‘wife ; Ay a a wo at —_ on LS ad um “A Culex Anopheles Pachydermata,”’ replied the professor, smiling and pro- nouncing the long name with an ease born of long practise. “ This’is, in com- mon language, an elephant-mosquito, or a mosquito-elephant, whichever . you choose to call it. For common purposes I have shortened the name to Elesketer, being a sort of combination of the two English terms, the full Latin text of which I just gave you.” “Go a little easy,’ pleaded Adams, to whom this scientific knowledge ‘came as a sort of blow. “ Just keep to plain English all through this, if it’s the same to you, professor.” “TI named it as I did because it has the characteristics of both the order of pachydermata or thick-skinned animals, to which family the elephant,.or probos- -cidoro ungulatos, belongs, and also of the - culex anopheles, a term for mosquito.” “Are you joking?” asked Adams. “Or do you mean that you have invented and raised, by cross-fertilizing, a horrible beast that combines in one form an ele- phant and a mosquito? ” 2 have,” “ Only it is not such a horrible beast. On the contrary it is quite handsome.” “From a scientific standpoint, I sup- _ pose.” ~ “Of course. Now, if you are ready, I will introduce you to Professor Jonkin’s ; Elesketer.”’ The scientist led the way into the in- terior of the bungalow. As Adams ad- vanced he heard the queer buzzing sound, only louder this time, and mingled with - it was trumpeting as if an angry ele- phant had broken loose!” “I’m afraid he’s a little cross,” said the professor. “ But don’t be alarmed. He is securely chained.” The professor threw open a door that led toa large room, and there, standing -in the middle of the space Adams be- held a shape of beast that caused him to start back in alarm. He saw what at first he took to be an elephant of average size, but as he looked more closely he noted that from the back of the brute there extended two long gauzy wings, exactly like the wings of a mosquito, only much larger. HIS WINGED ELEPHANT. _ the world. is a—er— answered the professor. And ‘instead of having the ordinary trunk, the Elesketer had- for a proboscis a long, slender bill, the end terminating in a horny point, and this bill or trunk could be swung about, raised, and low- ered and curled, just as an elephant handles its trunk. For the rest the beast was almost like an elephant, except that the legs were somewhat thinner, and the tusks more slender and pointed. The animal swayed from side to side, flapping its wings, which caused°the buz- zing sound, and blowing through the bill or trunk, which made the trumpeting noise. ‘Well, you certainly seem to have succeeded,” said Adams to the professor. ‘“What a queer animal. Of what use is it?” “ Of little practical benefit,” admitted the professor. “I told you I did this merely as a sort of pastime. It merely goes to show what nature can be edu- cated to accomplish.” “How did you bring it about?” “IT began with an ordinary Jersey mosquito,” said Professor Jonkin, ‘ for I understand that ‘there they attain their largest size and strength. I could have started on an elephant, and brought it down to this,” he went on, “but I pre- ferred to work from the small creation up to the large. “I admit that I was discouraged at first. The mosquitoes did not seem to appreciate what I was doing for them. I fed them well, on raw beef and brandy, and in a few weeks I had several as large as robins. But they were still mosquitoes, without the characteristics of elephants. ‘““T reasoned that if I provided all the environments to which elephants are ac- customed—the food, climate, surround: ings, and so on, and let the mosquitoes grow up in them, I might bring about what I desired. Accordingly I had this bungalow built and turned it into a small section of a tropical forest. “ By my own methods I grew tall, stately palms and date trees; I produced a thicket of underbrush and a region that looked like a dense forest. Then, by means of steam-pipes I made the place as warm as if it was located on the equator. I put on a glass roof, admit- ~~. —COMIEDOO