14 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Voi. xv. 



Riville gives an enthusiastic and detailed account of his observations 

 on the copulation of mosquitoes. He puts the facts on record in the 

 belief that, his was the first observation of the kind. However the 

 Acta of the old Leopold Carolinan Academy in 1737 contained a 

 notice of the copulation of mosquitoes by the Spaniard Diego Revi- 

 glias, communicated in a letter dated 4 March, 1728. 



The account of Reviglias is mainly directed towards refuting the 

 then generally accepted doctrine that insects did not reproduce them- 

 selves but were the product of processes of decomposition. A pair of 

 mosquitoes found united formed the basis of this essay and the mode 

 of copulation and the structure of the male and female genitalia are 

 carefully described. However nothing is said of the mating habits 

 and at present the article has little more than an historical interest. 

 Incidentally it may be noted that the mosquito-pair was kept under a 

 glass until they died and for some time thereafter. A small hairy 

 "worm," doubtless a dermestid larva, subsequently made its appear- 

 ance and was concluded to be the product of the union of the 

 mosquitoes. 



The account of Godeheu de Riville gains especial interest at pres- 

 ent in that, through seemingly trivial details, we are able to identify 

 the mosquito he had under observation, with, I may say, positive cer- 

 tainty. To the uninitiated this assertion will appear quite incredible ; 

 yet, with the data on the copulation of mosquitoes that we now have 

 at hand, the species in question can be pointed out with assurance as 

 Stegomyia calopus. I will first give in short the essentials of Godeheu 

 de Riville' s account and then point out the grounds upon which I base 

 my conclusions. 



Godeheu de Riville, on a return voyage from India, directed his 

 efforts to the discovery of the copulation of mosquitoes, and he relates 

 how his persistent efforts were at last successful. He dwells upon the 

 conditions, exceptionally favorable to his purpose, which existed on 

 board the ship on leaving Pondichery. The water brought on board 

 at Pondichery swarmed with the larvae and pup^^e of mosquitoes but 

 these all perished when the casks were sealed. Nevertheless a goodly 

 number of mosquitoes survived in certain earthen jars in which drink- 

 ing water was kept to preserve it in good condition. During the first 

 three weeks, whenever the cover of one of these jars was lifted, a cloud 

 of mosquitoes made its escape. The great number of mosquitoes pres- 

 ent on board during the first few weeks after departure from^ Pon- 



