extent. In Sicily, Anopheline larvae have been found by three 

 observers in very foul water and on one occasion in water which was 

 strongly impregnated with salt. With regard to the destruction of 

 mosquitos, heavy oils present the advantage of a lower price and a 

 lower rate of evaporation, but do not cover the surface so well as ordinary 

 petroleum and consequently leave spaces in which the larvae can 

 obtain access to the air. A good covering of algae acts in much the 

 same way as a layer of petroleum. Valerio and De Jong have suggested 

 the use of sunflower oil. This must be applied to the surface of the 

 water with a rag or cloth soaked in the oil ; the use of this oil is 

 especially suggested for water tubs and other receptacles in gardens 

 where it is desirable to avoid the offensive odour of petroleum. For 

 the destruction of the adults, the use of sulphur and tobacco smoke 

 is too expensive and pyrethrum is more or less ineffective. Fumi- 

 gation with chinolein, at the rate of 1 gram per cubic metre, is very 

 efiS.cacious and also kills house-flies. D. Marras has experimented on the 

 effect of the smoke from the seeds of various indigenous and exotic 

 plants for killing mosquitos and a lengthy list of seeds experimented 

 with is given. No relation between the irritating action of the smoke 

 of these seeds upon the nasal mucous membrane and their value in 

 killing mosquitos was found ; some of those which had the least 

 effect on human beings having the greatest culicidal action. 



Mosquitos in the Bahamas. — Bahamas Medical Report for the year 1913. 

 (Received from the Colonial Ofl&ce.) 



Culex fatigans, Stegomyia fasciata and unidentified Cuhcine larvae 

 were found on 80 premises inspected in Nassau. On certain city 

 premises not less than 15 tubs, all containing S. fasciata, were counted 

 and rubbish of various kinds, old pots, tins, etc., capable of serving 

 as breeding places were found on 80 per cent, of the lots in Grant's 

 Town and on 56 per cent, of the lots in the city. The destruction 

 of all bush, weeds and long grass near dwelhngs is emphasised as of 

 importance, owing to the cover it offers for this kind of rubbish and 

 also to the mosquitos themselves ; 50 per cent, of the lots in Grant's 

 Town and 39 per cent, of those in the city contained overgrowth of 

 this description. Natural holes in the rock were not found to be 

 breeding places for mosquitos as often as might have been expected 

 and larvae were only found in six of these. The presence of tadpoles 

 seemed to be the explanation, for wherever fully-grown tadpoles were 

 present, larvae were invariably absent, and the author of the report 

 thinks that the seasonal variation in the number of tadpoles probably 

 accounts very largely for the greater prevalence of mosquitos at one 

 time than another, other conditions such as the amount of rain, etc., 

 remaining the same. 



S. fasciata was found much more frequently in the city than in the 

 Grant's Town districts, the ratio being I'G to 1, and the presence of 

 this insect is regarded as a constant menace to the reputation of 

 Nassau as a winter resort. Complaint is made that the regulations 

 as to mosquito extermination are inoperative and that no legal pro- 

 ceedings can be taken on them. Neither Anophehne larvae nor 

 adults were found, but further investigation will probably reveal their 

 presence since cases of malaria exist. 



