42 



GNATS OR MOSQUITOES — CHAPTER III 



doubts as to the absolute distinctness of the species in 

 question. 



In addition to the above, there are a variety of other 

 compound bristles, notably those of the swimming fans, 

 which might be made use of in distinguishing species, but, 

 with the above exception, we can go no further than the 

 recognition of genera, and of some even of these we are 

 quite ignorant of the characters of the larvae. 



amy. nuJ. 

 Rossii. 



any. mfd. 



any. med 

 Maaj/ipfnnii. 



any. titett. 



Fig. 13. — The median and angular bristles of the fore margin of the 

 clypcus of five species of Aiwphelcs. Copied from Grassi, with the exception 

 of the figure of the bristles of An. Rossii. (Original.) 



Of the larva; of Megayhlna, PsorujjJiora, and Mucidas we 

 know nothing. Those of Uranotccnia are said by Dr. Lutz 

 to have a very short syphon, and to look much like those of 

 Anopheles, resting in the water m an oblique position. In 

 Mr. Theobald's new genus Stegomyia, S. pseudotceniatus 

 and S.fasciatus certainly have very short syphons, and the 

 same was the case in a larva I met with in Allahabad in 

 August, and which, though I was unable to breed out, was 

 almost certainly tiiat of S. githernatorls ; so that probably 

 the larvfE of this genus are characterised by the possession 

 of short breathing tubes. The same, however, is the case 

 with certain Culices, notably of C. pulchriventer, the syphon 

 of which is no larger than one of its anal tubercles. 



The larva> of all the Cullcidce are aquatic, and are 

 encephalous, i.e., have a well-developed head. When just 

 hatched, the lavvjr are of just sufficient size to be easily 



