12 DRAGOX FLIES VS. >[OSQUITOES. 



the life history of the dragon flies that would enable a 

 competent opinion to be formed as to the possibility of 

 making my suggestion practically useful. 



From Dr. Uhler, of Baltimore, the highest American 

 authority in the great class to which the "mosquito 

 hawk " belongs, the Neuroptera, I received the follow- 



in o- 



"Baltimore, July 16th, 1889. 



" Permit me to say that you have taken hold of one of 

 the hobbies of my young manhood, in which I have 

 never ceased to take an interest, and that is the develop- 

 ment of the Odonata in our rivers and marsh ditciies to 

 such an extent as to greatly reduce the number of mos- 

 quito larvEe, as well as those of other pestiferous Diptera 

 which develop in such places. 



" How extensively this can be done I do not know ; but 

 as I have raised all the common forms of our Atlantic 

 coastal plain region, I know that the dragon fly larvse 

 can be reared in vast numbers. 



" Of course, you know that each locality supports its 

 own species, and the forms which develop in the brackish 

 drains and pools near tide, where they are covered twice 

 each day by salt water, cannot flourish in fresh watci-. 

 Accordino-lv, for the littoral belt from Long Islaud to 

 Beaufort, N. C, I would select Diplax berenice, LibcUula 

 auripennis, and Mezothemis longipcnnis. For the region 

 next inland from this, multitudes of common species could 

 be had, such as Anax Junius, ^Eschna heros, Libellula 

 pulchella, L. luctuosa, L. semifasciata, Plathemis trimacu- 

 lata, and most of the species of Diplax. In the clear 

 streams which rush down from the hills, Corduliu, 



