xv, 3 Banks: Anopheline Mosquitoes 287 



I feel very safe in asserting that, from the observations made 

 upon these anopheline mosquitoes in their action of flying 

 against a stiff wind, we. must certainly conclude that they have 

 much greater power of flight than would be inferred from their 

 apparently frail structure. If it be true that this species is so 

 resistant to the wind — or rather, so capable of maintaining 

 itself in safety in a high wind — what may not be expected of 

 the more robust Culicines, such as Culex fatigans Wied., Manso- 

 nia uniformis Theob., Stegomyia scutellaris Walk., and one or 

 two other species, the occurrence of which in a given locality 

 can only be explained by the fact that they must have "come 

 upon the wind?" If Anophelines, naturally more delicate in 

 structure and with narrower wings and slenderer legs than those 

 mentioned above, can fly against a 12-kilometer wind and main- 

 tain themselves at a given point, how much more easily could 

 they or other mosquitoes be carried along by a wind, in which 

 case they would simply be required to "give way" to its force 

 and keep their balance! 



The ready ease with which these insects evade the captor's 

 hands and even his net would indicate that they possess in a 

 very keen degree the percussion sense, that this would materially 

 aid them in their windborne journeys in avoiding obstacles such 

 as trees, and that they would find little or no incovenience in 

 being wafted through wooded areas or around houses and other 

 similar objects. 



The ability to fly against the wind, together with their sense 

 of smell, would make it possible for them at any time in their 

 journey to "drop out" of the wind current in which they might 

 be carried, and attack any animal or enter any house in their 

 path. This is always on the assumption that females as well 

 as males are at times addicted to the swarming habit, and 

 that they too would manifest the same activities as those of 

 the opposite sex. There is certainly nothing to refute such a 

 hypothesis. 



Many difficulties lie in the way of ascertaining precisely the 

 minimum, or even optimum, distances which mosquitoes will 

 fly; but it is certain that, at least in the Philippines, we must 

 revise our ideas with respect to their being such frail creatures, 

 not daring to venture forth except in a summer zephyr; and it 

 is hoped that further observations along this line will enable 

 us to say with greater certainty how far a mosquito can or 

 will fly. 



