14 Proceedings of the First Convention 



however, that what is really wanted is a statement of how I 

 have spent the appropriation made by the Legislature of the 

 State of New Jersey for the mosquito investigation. 



First of all, I determined to inform myself as to just what 

 species of mosquitoes occurred in the State, under what con- 

 ditions they lived, and which of them were troublesome, either 

 as carriers of disease or as annoyances. 



Second, it was important to know the life history of at 

 least the troublesome forms, how they passed the winter, how 

 many broods there were, and whether the breeding areas were 

 general or restricted. 



So, during the summer of 1903, I had seven men in the 

 field almost continuously. One was permanently stationed at 

 a point on the coast and watched only the salt marsh species. 

 Another was kept along shore, moving from place to place 

 and collecting everywhere. A third spent much of his time in 

 the valleys of the Hackensack and Passaic, and in the swamps 

 of the interior — and so on. In this way we raked every section 

 of the State, collected thirty-three different species and actually 

 bred thirty-one of them. We may find one or two more ; but 

 I believe the mosquito fauna of the State is now pretty well 

 known. 



Not more than one-fourth of these species are at all trouble- 

 some, and four species are practically confined to the salt 

 marshes for breeding places — the adults unfortunately have a 

 wider range. 



Of the salt marsh species, two were found to be migratory 

 as a rule ; one was an occasional migrant, and the fourth rarely 

 got beyond the edge of the marsh. 



The tendency is to wander from the theme and state re- 

 sults ; but the first item of expenditure in my case was for 

 ascertaining all the facts comprised under my first and second 

 head. This gives what may be termed the scientific base 

 upon which the practical work is to be built. 



A third point is the determination of the remedial meas- 

 ures to be adopted; and this includes experiments with all or 

 any materials that will kill any stage, and the trial of methods 

 for reaching and curing conditions that favorably or tmfavor- 

 ably affect development. 



It is fair to carry on such experiments on a somewhat large 

 scale, to make certain that they can be practically used, and to 



