270 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV, 



pupa is pale brown, becoming darker brown as the insect reaches ma- 

 turity. Frequently the pupa is in the first instance pale green and this- 

 is more frequently the case if the change takes place amongst the food 

 plant. The eyes can always be distinguished as two black spots. 



The resting position assumed by the perfect insect is similar to that 

 of other species of the genus and at once distinguishes it from Culex. 

 Personally I fail to see how they can for a moment be confounded 

 once the characteristics of the insects are recognised. Anopheles full" 

 ginosus is altogether a more delicate-looking creature; the wings are 

 kept closely pressed against the body, and the head being very small 

 and in the same straight line with the body (and also the palpi) the in- 

 sect when at rest looks like a thin thorn stuck sideways into a bit of 

 wood. The posterior legs are frequently elevated above the body r 

 more especially when resting on a perpendicular surface, and it has a 

 curious habit of waving them about with a rotatory motion for some 

 time at short intervals. They frequently do this when feeding on 

 banana or imbibing blood ; whether the snow-white tarsi are of any 

 particular benefit to the insect during these manoeuvres I am unable 

 to say, possibly they act as "warning" organs. The humped back and 

 robust thorax of Culex is to my mind quite distinctive. 



[This habit of elevating and waving the posterior pair of limbs is not peculiar to 

 this species or genus. I have observed it in many species of Culex and allied genera 

 when feeding, or when coming to rest after a flight — E. E. G.] 



This species of Anopheles will live two or three days without food, 

 but they readily suck the juice of a ripe banana, and the females sack 

 blood without much persuasion. The males do not suck, this disagree- 

 able practice being confined to the female. Their greed is remarkable : 

 they fill themselves to such an extent that the blood exudes from the 

 anus, and even then after a surfeit of blood they will make a dessert off 

 banana. I know of few insects so quick in their movements as 

 jbnopheles fidiginosus, and one has to bo extremely careful lest any 

 escape from confinement. They make for any hole in the muslin in a 

 moment and get through with remarkable nimbleness. They will, 

 however, almost invariably fly to the top of any vessel containing 

 them ; if kept in a test tube they settle on the cotton wool, and if the 

 test tube is inverted they will then make their way to the bottom end. 



In the tropics one has to remember that the banana is not only 

 attractive to Anopheles but to other things as well, and the cage should 

 therefore be kept with its legs in water. 1 have found before now a 



