IMPORTATION OF AEDES CALOPUS 301 



" It will be seen in these instances that the ascent of yellow fever and the 

 advent of the Stegomyia fasciata have gone hand in hand until they have now 

 reached an altitude of 4200 feet in the first instance and 3000 feet in the 

 second. This is the first authentic record we have of yellow fever reaching such 

 an altitude and is another proof that, the proper conditions supplied, the dis- 

 ease and the insect can be introduced and cause the same destruction of life as 

 in more tropical regions. The distribution of this insect in our southern States 

 has already been dwelt upon." 



In an interesting article on mosquito work in Khartoum, published in the 

 first report of the Wellcome Eesearch Laboratories, Balfour states that calopus 

 breeds in Khartoum though not to any great extent. He believes that its preva- 

 lence is due to the steamers on the Blue Nile. Together with Culex quinque- 

 fasciatus, it has been found breeding in large numbers in the bilge water, tank 

 water and engine-room water of the river steamers. He believes that by this 

 means these two species have been introduced into the towns along the upper 

 Nile. 



THE YELLOW-FEVER MOSQUITO IN EUROPE. 



The yellow-fever mosquito appears to be well established in southern Europe. 

 Meigen's description of Culex calopus was based on a specimen from Portugal — 

 probably the city of Oporto — and shows that the species was established there 

 before 1818. Ficalbi, who redescribed the insect under the name Culex elegans 

 reports it from Pisa, Leghorn (Livorno), Florence and Naples, and the islands 

 of Sicily and Sardinia. He was well aware of its habits and stated that it is 

 not generally distributed and noted its absence from Sienna and Eavenna. Theo- 

 bald reports it from Gibraltar, from Poros in Greece and Lamaka in Cyprus. 

 We have specimens from Naples and Malaga. In Europe, as elsewhere, the cli- 

 matic conditions previously set forth will limit its permanent habitat. 



There can be little doubt that the yellow-fever mosquito was brought to 

 Europe by the early Spanish conquerors, perhaps by Columbus himself. The 

 long voyage, necessitating a large water supply, kept in a primitive way, gave 

 ample opportunity for the mosquito to propagate en route. We have an excel- 

 lent description of such a case in the account of Captain Godeheu de Kiville, 

 already mentioned on a previous page. 



Under modern conditions the danger of introduction of the yellow-fever mos- 

 quito into other parts of Europe is very greatly reduced. The rapidity of the 

 voyage is more than offset by the lack of breeding facilities on modern ships. 

 Nevertheless the introduction of Aedes calopus, and with it of yellow fever, into 

 the more northerly portions of Europe, has occurred repeatedly within compara- 

 tively recent times. As recently as 1908 there was a small outbreak of yellow 

 fever at the French port of Saint Nazaire with eleven cases, seven of which 

 terminated fatally. The ship " La France " had been en route from Martinique 

 from September 11 to 24 and no cases had developed on board. As the pre- 

 scribed period of nine days since leaving port had been passed the ship was 

 admitted without quarantine. Soon after unloading began yellow fever ap- 

 peared among the crew; a journalist, who had visited the ship, and a seaman of 



