880 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVI 11 



chiefly at the extermination of the malaria carrying mosquito, and 

 this is generally effected by destroying the insect in its larval stage 

 when it is found living in various collections of water. A gang of 

 men is organised and trained to detect and destroy these mosquito- 

 breeding places. Major Ross has given the name ' Mosquito 

 Brigades' to these gangs, The work undertaken by a mosquito 

 brigade can be done intelligently or otherwise. On the one hand, 

 having ascertained which particular mosquito is spreading the disease, 

 they can seek out and remove the breeding places of this mosquito, or, 

 on the other hand, they may blindly attempt to destroy all mosquito- 

 breeding places. This latter is the plan of working generally 

 adopted. To my mind, in a city like this, such a plan of operations is 

 not only foolish but likely to yield very unsatisfactory results. A 

 knowledge of the habits of mosquitoes soon teaches us that each 

 species selects particular types of breeding places, so that it is possible 

 to say, for example, that in this puddle we shall find Anopheles rossii; 

 in this irrigation canal we shall find Anopheles culicifacies ; in this 

 tank we shall find barbirostris, or it may hefuliginosus. We can, in 

 this way, seek out any particular species of mosquito we may want and 

 naturally save ourselves an immense amount of trouble. If we mean 

 to exterminate any particular species of mosquito it is blind folly to 

 attempt to destroy all mosquitoes, for not only will the task be a 

 herculean one, but the expenditure both in time and money 

 will be enormous. It is necessary, therefore, having first 

 ascertained which mosquito is carrying malaria to seek out 

 and destroy its breeding places. In the present case we know 

 that Anopheles stephensi is the mosquito which is spreading the 

 disease and it is important to learn something about its breeding 

 places. 



In Bombay I have found this mosquito breeding in iron cisterns 

 on the roofs of the houses and in concrete water troughs. In Madras 

 it has been found in old disused wells, and in the Punjab in earthen- 

 ware gharras of water and in tin pots containing clean water. In 

 short, Anopheles stephensi is a mosquito which breeds in small 

 collections of clear water. Having discovered the breeding places, 

 each one will require to be dealt with rationally. It is absurd to 

 paint kerosine or pesterine over every pool. Thus, for example, to 

 prevent Anopheles stephensi breeding in the iron cisterns in our houses 



