8 Seco/id/' Report on Economic Zoology. 



to beat the hedge and also the ivy on the stable-yard wall for nearly two 

 hours, but did not see another Culicid. 



" Tub in orchard for cattle to drink from, filled from standpipe : 

 Clean — no Culicids. 



" On the second visit — also a scorching hot day— I made the round 

 of the collections of water tested and treated on the first visit, but no 

 signs of the enemy. Afterwards, I extended my work to the shrubbery 

 and wood, and made my first discovery of adult mosquitoes in numbers, 

 in an earth closet close to the Hall, the roof and ceiling of which were 

 covered with hundreds of (Jiilex pipiens, all sluggish females with distended 

 abdomens. The next capture was a female of Grahhamia dorsalis at rest 

 on the side of a manhole near the Hall ; the male escaped. 



" In the wood which adjoins the gardens and extends for about half 

 a mile to Higham Lake, I saw first a few of the ' Wood Mosquito ' {Culex 

 nemorosus), and individuals of the ' Banded -legged Mosquito' {Guhx 

 canians) ; then, as I proceeded towards the pools by the Lodge and 

 Higham Lake, their numbers increased to such an extent that, when 

 forcing my way through the bracken — shoulder high in places — in search 

 of their breeding pools, the Culices rose in clouds and attacked me so 

 viciously and persistently that I had to cover my head with my net. 

 While testing the pools for ' egg-rafts ' and ' wrigglers ' of these two 

 species, the bloodthirsty creatures bit all exposed parts, and, moreover, bit 

 either through my flannels or crawled under to do so. Over fifty hard 

 bumps the size and shape of a split pea marked where they had punctured. 

 As the only inconvenience was an irritation, particularly after washing and 

 shaving, no remedy was applied, and in the course of a week they had all 

 disappeared. 



" No traces of mosquitoes in any aquatic state could be found in either 

 the large open pool near the Lodge or the small ones surrounded with 

 dense undergrowth in the wood. Nevertheless, all pools were treated with 

 a heavy dressing of paraffin. The small pools are being filled in with 

 refuse from the Hall and Lodge. 



" The two permanent ponds in the meadow for cattle to drink from 



were inspected — no mosquitoes in any state — many Dragon-flies on the 



wing. 



" Higham Lake — I worked unsuccessfully all round it for the larvte of 



Ciilex nemorosus, the adults of which were numerous and annoying on the 



banks. 



" On the third visit — a sultry day — the cistern closed with two doors 



fitted over the servants' entrance to the Hall was first examined — hundreds 



of the ' Household Mosquito ' {Culex plpiens) were hanging on the ceiling, 



though a thorough search revealed no other than adult female forms. 



" This cistern was emptied, scrubbed and flushed out, the walls and 



ceiling brushed down, then the doors closed and all open joints doubly 



papered to prevent mosquitoes entering for hibernating or egg-laying 



purposes. 



" The large rain-water cistern on the flat leaded roof was next inspected 



— thousands of adults of the ' House Mosquito,' but none of its early 



stages. 



" Crevices and corners were brushed out and the water thickly coated 



with paraffin. 



