50 THE MOSQUITOES OF NEW JERSEY 



or intelligently, with a direct knowledge of the point they were detailed 



to clear up. 



Mr. Viereck's collections and notes are especially valuable on this 

 point, for the Cape May Peninsula is comparatively narrow, is thor- 

 oughly dominated by sollicitans and was explored in almost every sec- 

 tion. The net result of Mr. Viereck's collections is exactly that of all 

 others who have done similar work. There is no breeding away from 

 the salt marsh region broadly considered. 



It is not necessary that there should be any considerable depth to 

 the mud in which the eggs are laid. I have never found larvae in pools 

 with a clear sandy bottom ; but I have found them in grassy depressions 

 among the sand hills, where there was just a scum of the organic mud 

 deposit on the surface. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE LARVA 

 When full grown, from 8-9 mm. (.32-36 inch) long. Large, robust, 

 usually dirty gray, often yellowish white. Head yellow, small in com- 

 parison to body, one and one-half times as broad as long. Sides and 

 base shaded reddish brown ; vertex, though immaculate, generally has 

 lateral blotches, often clouded in front. Rarely, dark clouded head, due 

 to extension of anterior blotch. Four rather long, single hairs arise 

 from sides of vertex in anterior part, two slightly in advance of others, 

 small tuft of four or five hairs at base of each antenna. Antennae short, 

 evenly tapered toward apex ; pale yellow at base, dark brown on apical 

 half, with small stout spines over surface. Tuft of four or five hairs 

 issues from shaft about middle, few short bristles besides small joint on 

 apex. Eyes large, some blunt, others acute on dorsal surface. Rotary 

 mouth brushes have more central hairs pectinated. Mentum triangular ; 

 eight to twelve teeth on each side of apex. Mandible normal, somewhat 

 elongated ; maxillary palpus short, chunky, hairy surfaced, large basal 

 joint, comparatively very small apical tuft. 



Thorax large, wider than long, two transverse depressions on dorsal 

 surface, number of smaller wrinkles. Angulations not very prominent, 

 hair tufts arising from them very short; two other small tufts on 

 dorsum near anterior margin. 



Abdominal segments subquadrate; joints more constricted in ante- 

 rior segments. Hair tufts very short, two hairs to lateral tuft, more in 

 first, second, and seventh segments. Eighth segment has from twenty to 

 forty lateral patches of scales, single scale drawn to acute point at 

 apex, with small spines fringing sides. Anal siphon short and stubby, 

 about one and one-half or twice as long as broad, with two rows of 



