Sept. ], ISCS.j 



HAltDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



207 



feet, and catch the fly on or at the end of the 

 journey. 



The colour frequently changes to the predomin- 

 ating colour of the surrounding objects, and to all 

 appearances involuntarily. I have seen my frogs 

 become, after resting for about an hour on the 

 mahogany back of the case in which they were con- 

 fined, asj regards colour/a perfect counterpart of the 

 wood on which they rested ; their return to their 

 natural colour, however, takes considerably less 

 time. They will sometimes change their usual 

 bright green coat for one of a very dark colour 

 while resting upon a fresh and green leaf. I can 

 see no cause for this phenomenon, and leave it to 

 be explained by some correspondent more learned 

 than myself. 



Clapham. H. Alliott. 



MOSQUITOES. 



CjCEPTICAL on the subject of Mosquitoes in 

 ^ England, we sent to Woolwich for some of 

 the " foreigners " declared to be so plentiful there, 

 and received specimens. Still sceptical, we sent 

 them to an authority of scientific repute for their 



■ W i J 



■' .' 



Fig. 219. Anopheles maculipennis, male and female. 



specific identification, and received the information 

 that they were only a species of gnat {Anopheles 

 maculipennis), previously known as British, and of 



which we figure the male and female, drawn from 

 the Woolwich specimens. So far the evidence 

 breaks down, and we are still sceptical about "Mos- 

 quitoes in England." 4 notice by Professor West- 

 wood in the Gardener's Chronicle of August 8th 

 favours this scepticism, and is to the following 

 effect : — 



My opinion having been requested on the subject 

 of the mosquitoes, said to have been introduced into 

 this country from the West Indies during the present 

 hot weather, I am under the necessity of saying that 

 I entirely discredit any such occurrence having 

 taken place. Every year in the hottest part of the 

 summer our common gnat {Culex pipiens) is de- 

 veloped very numerously and very rapidly, and no 

 sooner does it make its appearance in the winged 

 state than it (or, rather, only the females) imme- 

 diately wants food, attacking the exposed parts of 

 the body, especially during the night, with the 

 greatest violence. We possess a score British 

 species of the restricted genus Oulex, one of which, 

 with spotted wings, has just been sent to me from 

 Portsmouth as a mosquito; and I fortunately 

 happened to be at the British Museum when a 

 " mosquito " was brought from the neighbourhood 

 of Woolwich, which proved to be nothing but 

 Culex pipiens. The Mosquito of the Riviera, be- 

 tween Nice and Genoa (which is very venomous, 

 and is guarded against by carefully stitched mos- 

 quito curtains), is certainly only a culex, which 

 breeds in the open water-tanks in the garden or 

 yard of every house, and which is not only never 

 cleared out, but always left open, so that the 

 gnats breed in the water perfectly unchecked. 

 There is a minute midge, of quite a different genus, 

 which is called a mosquito in some exotic parts, 

 as in North America, and we have small British 

 species which go under the common name of Sand 

 Elies (a great misnomer, as they are chiefly found 

 in swampy places only) which draw blood. That 

 the insects are more venomous now than at any 

 other season I do not believe; that the hot wea- 

 ther makes them more energetic I do believe ; and 

 that many persons when stung are iu an inflam- 

 matory condition will, I believe, sufficiently account 

 for the worse effects of the insect's wound. If 

 persons who have water-tanks or open ditches 

 about their houses would be careful shortly after 

 sunset to watch the windows of their bedrooms, 

 they would find the gnats beginning to fly about 

 the panes of glass, emitting their hum, and a little 

 pains would enable them to destroy the enemy, 

 and ensure a quiet night's rest.—/. 0. Westwood, 

 Oxford. 



In a previous number of this journal (1867, p. 

 7S) we gave an interesting chapter on mosquitoes 

 by Mr. J. K. Lord, illustrated by figures of male 

 and female mosquitoes from India, to which wc 

 refer our readers. 



