224 THE MOSQUITOES OF NEW JERSEY 



declares that during that time only a small percentage of the entire 

 number rose to the surface. 



Occasionally a number of specimens would be at the surface, feeding, 

 head up, so that the mouth brushes skimmed the surface, and these were 

 watched on occasions for twenty minutes, without noting any attempt 

 to assume the breathing position. In fact, during the two months that 

 these larvae were under daily observation, the rising to the surface to 

 breathe was the rare exception rather than the rule. Usually they were 

 feeding, head down, over the bottom sediment, or head up along the sides 

 of the jar and at the top. The mouth brushes serve also as organs of 

 locomotion and the larvae were able to make their way from one point 

 to another, without moving any other part of the body. They often al- 

 lowed themselves to sink slowly to the bottom without any motion what- 

 ever, and sometimes, to sink more rapidly, curled themselves up into a 

 ring. Occasionally a specimen got hold of a bubble of gas formed at the 

 bottom and allowed itself to be floated to the surface. It was interesting 

 to watch the little fellows ; but as week after week passed it became just 

 a little tedious ; therefore, to hasten matters, I placed, March 1, the two 

 jars first received on a water bath, which kept the temperature as 

 nearly uniform as the varying pressure of the gas allowed — say, be- 

 tween 80°F. and 90°F. 



A difference in growth was observable after a few days and on March 

 18 the first pupa was noticed, from which an adult was produced on the 

 twenty-first, a period of three days. Three other pupae were obtained 

 within a week and these changed to adults in about the same time. 



March 24, I made an experiment which resulted fatally. It occurred 

 to me that the slow growth might be due to lack of food and as Mr. 

 Brakeley's larvae had attacked and devoured a small gnat I determined 

 to add food to the water. Accordingly I placed a small lump of beef in 

 each of five experiment jars. Next day at a casual glance I noted noth- 

 ing unusual, but March 26, at 8:00 a.m., I found the insects at the top, 

 tube out, and evidently in distress. I fished out all the meat particles at 

 once, but the mischief had been done, and most of the larvae died. Evi- 

 dently this species does not thrive in foul water; a fact which Mr. 

 Brakeley determined also from his field collections. 



As the season progressed more larvae were sent in, and these matured 

 in such numbers that I was able to supply material in sufficient quantity 

 to enable Mr. Coquillett to determine that instead of Cnlex pipiens we 

 had a new species to deal with; one which will have to descend to pos- 

 terity as a member of the Smith family, unless perchance it proves to 

 have been previously described. 



