MOSQUITO BIOLOGY 173 



and one-half times as long as broad, with ventral brush composed of but 

 six or seven tufts of long hairs and few short hairs below barred area. 

 Dorsal double tufts have one long hair each and several shorter ones. 

 Anal gills about as long as ninth segment. 



HABITS OF THE EARLY STAGES 



This is one of the few mosquito larvae that is really recognizable at 

 a glance ; the large square head and the very long and very slender anal 

 siphon forming a combination that cannot be mistaken. This is, essen- 

 tially, a clean water wriggler, though it is occasionally found in stag- 

 nant water. At the extreme edge of one of the fish ponds at Lahaway 

 the margin was very shallow, the pine chats from the edge extending 

 under water to some distance, and here specimens could be found in 

 small numbers. Among the grass in a lily pond, also inhabited by fish, 

 examples are also to be found at almost all times. In fact the grassy 

 edge of large ponds is a favorite place for this species, which seems to 

 escape fish better than most other wrigglers. Another favorite breeding 

 place is in the quiet eddies or side pools of even rapid streams where it 

 is usually the only species found. It is frequent in springs and is almost 

 universal in swamp pools formed of spring water. It gets down to the 

 edges of the salt marsh at times and is found in company with salinarius 

 in the more permanent pools at the edge of the highland. This is essen- 

 tially an inhabitant of permanent water bodies and in swamps is the 

 frequent companion of Anopheles. But it may be found in pools which 

 dry out completely at times, and even in rain pools and woodland de- 

 pressions. It is not a universal breeder, however, like pipiens, and never 

 occurs in such masses ; the larvae are individual in occurrence rather 

 than in swarms. 



It is reasonably certain that the eggs winter at the bottom of the 

 pools and ponds where the larvae occur, but whether they will stand a 

 winter drying out or not is a question. The larvae is not an early one. 

 The record is May 12 for single specimens and as late as June 2 a 

 "regular nest of apicalis apparently just hatched," is recorded. None 

 of our early collections turn out apicalis before the middle of May and 

 it is not until the season is well advanced that they become at all plenti- 

 ful. They hang on in fall, however, until November, and are among the 

 last of the species to be found outdoors. They were taken in early Octo- 

 ber in a swampy area along the Passaic, both as full grown larvae and 

 pupae, from each of which forms adults were obtained later in the lab- 

 oratory. 



Whether these late adults taken in October and November mate and 



