100 MOSQUITOES OF NORTH AMERICA 



" The next sending did not come until August 21st, and then there was every- 

 thing from the most minute larva to pupae just ready to transform. So small 

 were some of the larvse that I hunted for eggs or egg shells, but failed to recog- 

 nize any. It is probable that the youngest larva represented a third brood, but 

 breeding was practically continuous, all stages being found at any time after 

 the middle of July. 



" September 1st the same conditions existed and there was a large number of 

 larvas so small that it seemed as if at least egg shells must yet remain, but none 

 were found. Fortunately Mr, Brakeley returned to Lahaway early in this month 

 and on the 13th lucky day he found the eggs floating on the surface of the 

 water in the pitcher plants. 



" September 14th, I had an opportunity to spend a couple of hours in a swamp 

 in the pines near Hanover Station, Burlington County, and found the pitcher 

 plants there full of the Wyeomyia in all stages from babes to pupae. Collected 

 the entire contents of the pitchers in alcohol, and found afterward that eggs 

 were present in some numbers. But meanwhile Mr. Brakeley had positively 

 identified them, and had even bred a lot of larvae, making the relation absolutely 

 certain. He collected from time to time, until October 20th, and found any- 

 where from five or six to thirty or more eggs in a single leaf. Oviposition was 

 continuous, but on only two occasions were adults seen apparently engaged in the 

 process. It is probable that the egg-laying is done mostly at night. 



" After the eggs had once been identified there was no difficulty in finding 

 them, but it was noted that in the older leaves, where larva were now most 

 abundant, they were not so plentiful as they should be to account for the large 

 winter supply. So attention was directed to the younger leaves, even where there 

 was as yet no water in them. Here, is was discovered, was the favorite place for 

 ovipositing, with this species. Eggs were laid in leaves as yet perfectly dry, at 

 the bottom and at the sides, singly or in little groups, whether by one or more 

 than one female was not ascertained. Of the old leaves many become imperfect 

 in late fall and any puncture or decay allowing the water to escape would, of 

 course, mean the death of the larvae. So the new leaves are selected and in 

 them many more eggs were found than in the others. In one case Mr. Brakeley 

 counted up to seventy-five, then lumped the remainder and called it one hun- 

 dred. It is scarcely probable that any one female of this species is capable 

 of producing one hundred eggs of the comparatively large size of those in ques- 

 tion ; so two at least, and possibly more females may oviposit in a suitable leaf. 



" Observations were continued until frost, which came unusually early in 

 1901. Up to November eggs were found, and early in that month a few pupae. 

 So breeding is continued just as long as there is a chance to keep it up. 



" The eggs are chestnut brown in color, somewhat chunky, bean-shaped, the 

 ends somewhat pointed, the inner margin nearly straight. There is no evident 

 sculpture, yet when first mounted and examined under the microscope, there 

 seems to be a somewhat irregular tessellated reticulation that disappears later, 

 when the shell becomes more transparent. 



" In the previous notes it was brought out that this larva does not need to 

 come to the surface for air as much as recorded for Culex. Dr. Howard 

 informed me that a lot of larvae that I sent him later lived for nearly two weeks 

 under a film of oil which covered the surface of their breeding jar. 



" One of my students demonstrated in the laboratory a very complete tracheal 

 system in the anal processes of the larva, so we have really a gill structure, by 

 means of which the insect gets its supply of oxygen directly from the water. 



" Briefly stated, the life history is as follows : The insect winters in the 

 larval stage, freezing and thawing as often as need be during that season. It 

 pupates late in May and becomes adult a week or ten days later. Eggs are laid 

 in the leaves singly or in small groups fastened to the sides or floating on the 



