8 THE YELLOW-FEVER MOSQUITO. 
MATING. 
The mating of the species usually occurs during flight, although 
the female sometimes alights during the act and before its comple- 
tion. The act requires but a fraction of a minute. Temperature has 
a great influence upon sexual activity. Below 68° F. mating seldom 
occurs. The same male may have frequent connections in rapid 
succession with various females. 
RELATION OF FOOD TO EGG LAYING. 
It seems certain that the female can not develop her eggs without 
having had a meal of blood. After a meal eggs will be deposited in a 
few days. If a fertilized female is fed upon sweet substances, the 
eggs will not develop. If afterwards, say after 15 or 20 days, she 
is fed blood, the eggs will then develop. Blood food, however, in 
hastening the development of the eggs shortens the life of the 
mosquito. <A diet of honey, on the other hand, prevents the develop- 
ment of the eggs and prolongs life. The shortest interval between 
a blood meal and egg laying is apparently two days, and the longest 
seven days. 
BREEDING HABITS. 
EGG LAYING. 
The eggs are laid separately in several lots, the individual lots 
being laid at intervals of several days or more. They may be laid 
near the water, close to its edge, or upon the surface of the water. 
Oviposition on the surface of the water, however, is probably rare, 
and possibly occurs only under abnormal conditions, when the mos- 
quitoes are being studied in captivity. Normally it appears to be 
the custom to lay them on the sides of a receptacle containing water, 
just above the surface of the water, so that a slight elevation of the 
water will submerge them. They have been found upon a leaf 
floating upon the water. 
Sometimes the female will lay but one lot of eggs. Others will 
lay two lots, and others from three to seven. According to J. R. 
Taylor, the total number of eggs laid at a time varies from 35 to 114. 
Other observers have increased the number to 150. Undersized 
females rarely lay more than 50 eggs. The death of the female after 
egg laying seems to indicate that all the eggs have been laid. 
THE EGGS. 
The eggs are small and black in color and are well shown in 
figure 4. As has been stated, they are ordinarily laid above the mar- 
- gin of the water, and here they may remain dry for long periods, 
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