June, '17] HERMS: CALIFORNIA MOSQUITO SURVEY 367 



Calistoga and the Na'pa Valley, thence again to Berkeley. The final 

 trip of the season consisted of a further study of conditions from 

 Benecia to Suisun and the Vaca Valley, thence to Napa and Santa 

 Rosa, northward to Ukiah, Laytonville, Eureka, Crescent City, east- 

 erly to Redding via Weaver ville, southerly to Williams, westerly to 

 Ukiah via Bartlett's Springs and Lakeport. From Ukiah the home- 

 ward journey was made via Santa Rosa and Napa including a mos- 

 quito survey of Mare Island. The summer's work closed August 14. 

 From May 10 to August 14 we had covered 6,446 miles or 7,036 miles 

 from April 13, and 31 northern counties had been officially included in 

 the survey. We had travelled from sea level, actually on the sandy 

 beach of the Pacific Ocean near Crescent City, to an elevation of about 

 8,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We had encountered 

 rain, hail, snow, storm, heat and cold, often subjected to dangers and 

 hardships, but we had visited the home of the mosquito and had seen 

 at first hand conditions good and bad as they actually exist. ^ 



Object and Method of Survey 



The object of the survey was threefold, first, scientific, in that an 

 accurate knowledge of the specific occurrence and distribution of mos- 

 quitoes and malaria was desired; second, economic and remedial, in that 

 accurate information relative to the breeding places of the Anopheline 

 species was needed in order that definite and practical suggestions for 

 control could be offered; and third, educational, in so far as literature 

 was distributed, lectures were given, conferences were held and much 

 personal work was done among the ranchers. The objectives of the 

 survey defined from the very start the methods pursued in our survey. 

 The itinerary of each trip was prepared in advance and adhered to 

 very closely. Adult mosquitoes were easily located in their hiding 

 places during the day, commonly under bridges, in culverts and in 

 outhouses. By the use of cyanide bottles made of shell vials (1" to H" 

 deep and f " in diameter) representative collections were made. After 

 collecting them they were at once placed between cotton wadding in 

 small pill boxes, each box given a number which corresponded to a 

 number on a map. Breeding places were then located, descriptions 

 were made and photographs taken in many instances. Ordinarily 

 this peculiar performance attracted attention and soon one or more 

 individuals were being told the object of our work. Health officers and 

 other public officials were frequently taken into the field and given les- 

 sons in the recognition of mosquito larvae, particularly the Anophelines, 

 and were given suggestions for control. In nearly all communities resi- 



iHerms, W. B. Progress Report on State-wide Mosquito Survey. Calif. State 

 Board of Health Monthly Bulletin, vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 192-196. (Oct., 1916). 



