25 



Culex nemorosus, Mg. 



Plate 7. 



This is another sylvan species, wliich, according to Theobald 

 {op. cit., Vol. II. (1901), p. 83}, is common in England bnt has never 

 been known to enter houses or outbuildings. The author .referred to 

 states that he has received specimens from " a great variety of places 

 such as deep woods, the borders of lakes, along ditches, cuttings, etc." 

 The British specimens in the Museum collection are from various 

 localities between and including Torphins, Aberdeenshire, N.B., and 

 the New Forest, Hants ; the species was met with by the writer in the 

 woods near Brinklow, Warwickshire, on June 30th, 1902. The time 

 of flight is from May to August. Theobald writes {loc. cit., p. 84) : — 

 " This wood gnat varies very considerably both in size and colour. I 

 have seen the females only 6 mm. long, whilst others are 9 mm." 



The geographical range of C. ncjiiorosus includes the whole of 

 Europe, from Lapland to Italy, and also extends to Canada. 



Culex pipiens, Linn. 

 The Common Gnat. 



Plate 8. 



The Common Gnat is generally distributed in the British Islands, 

 and may be met with in houses practically throughout the j^ear. 

 Theobald writes (op. cit.. Vol. II. (1901), p. 135): — "The females 

 hibernate in cellars and outhouses, and appear mostly in March and 

 April, but do not, as far as my observations go, deposit their eggs for 

 some little time. No males are to be found in the early part of the 

 year, the females having been fertilised by the males in the previous 

 autumn. I have known this gnat active in numbers well into 

 November in England, and they occur during the winter in houses." 



