86 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



tilla) and of a semi-palmated sand piper {Breinctes semipal- 

 mata) , and all of these had eaten sollicitans larvae in some num- 

 bers ; the plover most of all. There was no especial difficulty 

 in identifying the wriggler remnants from the head and anal 

 siphon, which, being chitinous, were not digested. The num- 

 ber of specimens examined is insufficient to serve as a basis for 

 positive statements, but it seems likely that many larvse are 

 devoured by the marsh birds. 



The larva8 of dragon flies have been known as enemies to the 

 wrig-glers for ages, and they are as little entitled to credit for 

 effective work as are the adults. They are bottom feeders, as 

 a rule, and usually way below the range of even Ciilex, while 

 Anopheles is in no dang-er from them whatever. On the salt 

 marsh Mid'athyria berenice is often very common, and I im- 



Figure 19. 



A diving beetle, Dytiscus marginalis. a, larva, or water tiger devouring an agrion 

 larva; h, pupa; c, male beetle, with wing cover of female at side; d, anterior tarsus of 

 male, enlarged; e, tarsus of female. (After Riley.) 



pressed upon Mr. Viereck the desirability of learning its rela- 

 tion to sollicitans and other marsh wrigglers. His report is 

 that the larvae are found in comparatively fresh salt water in 

 the naturally-drained sedge marsh ; never in stagnant breeding 

 pools. 



I have frequently found larvae of dragon flies associated with 

 an abundance of wrigglers, but, as a rule, there are few mosquito 

 larvae in those places where the others are most commonly 

 found, their absence being due to other causes. It is not in- 

 tended to say that dragon fly larvae do not eat wrigglers as op- 



