LARVAL AND PUPAL STAGES, MYZORHYNCHUS BANCROPTI. 167 



larvse of N^yssorhi/nckus annuUpes Walker were found in 

 moderate numbers floating at the surface film and intercepted 

 from the main body of water by a more or less unbroken layer 

 of green Algae. 



After having scooped up many larvse of other species, a 

 specimen was noticed which bore, on examination with a 

 hand-lens, certain characteristics Avhich were at the time 

 regarded as being pecuhar to some hitherto unrecognised 

 mosquito larva. It was carefully isolated from the others and 

 its metamorphoses subsequently watched over with interest, 

 for one would have naturally suspected the species under 

 consideration ; nor was this anticipation ill-grounded, insomuch 

 that at the final ecdysis the desired imago appeared. Two 

 hours were spent that day, during which time further supplies 

 of the elusive species were sought for, but the collector frankly 

 admits that he played the role of the unsuccessful sportsman 

 and returned home with a spoil of three larvae (last larval instar) 

 and one pupa which ultimately gave rise to two females and 

 one male of Myzorhynchus bancrofti. Since that time, no less 

 than eight hours (extending into three days) have been devoted 

 to the same spot, but the results were wholly disappointing, 

 not one further specimen having been caught. 



Metamorphoses. 



On reaching home the same day (12th May) the specimens 

 were transferred to a mosquito breeding cage.^ Two days 

 later the pupal ecdysis took place, resulting in a female 

 specimen. On the third day one of the three larvae had pupated 

 and two da3^s later the pupa gave rise to a female. One of the 

 two remaining larvae was killed for future use ; the other 

 eventually pupated, the jDupal instar covering two days, and 

 merged as a male specimen. The first of the two females 

 which emerged died during the second day of aerial life without 

 having sucked blood. The remaining female lived with a male 

 four days, when the male died and was most unfortunately 

 destroyed by ants before any microscopic observations could 

 be made. 



^ The breeding cage takes the form of a parallelopiped of mosqmto 

 netting stretched over a wooden frame, about 8 by 8 by 14 inches. Small 

 vessels of water containing larva? are introduced into this mosquito cage 

 by means of a sleeve in the side. 



