142 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



bad along the entire border, because toward the south the shores 

 of the Island become much higher and there is no shore marsh. 

 Except along this short stretch the State of New Jersey is safe 

 from foreign moscjuito invasion. From Sandy Hook to Cape 

 May Point the Atlantic Ocean forms a perfectly safe area, east 

 and south winds being absolutely safe. Delaware Bay is too wdde 

 to be safely crossed in a single flight by even the salt marsh 

 species and as the shores of the river approach, the breeding area 

 disappears. North of the Bombay Hook Island, on the Dela- 

 ware side of the river, no salt marsh breeding- places exist, but on 

 the Jersey side the danger points extend to the AUowav Creek. 

 No species that breed north of the points mentioned have the abil- 

 ity to fly across the Delaware River, hence it is safe to say that 

 neither Delaware nor Pennsylvania sends any mosquitoes into 

 New Jersey. Along the New York boundary to the north and 

 northeast few mosquitoes occur on either side, and where they 

 do, the trouble is local; none of the species is migratory. Along 

 the Hudson River there are no salt marshes and none of the 

 species that breed on the east shore of that stream can fly across 

 it into New Jersey. As the river widens into New York Bay, 

 the Long Island shore comes into account, but this is safe from 

 the migratory forms until Gravesend Bay is reached. Though 

 this has the typical marsh fauna, the full width of the widest part 

 of Staten Island intervenes before the Jersey shore is reached, and 

 the Island is quite capable of holding all the specimens that reach 

 there from Gravesend or Coney Island. Except for the short 

 stretch along the Staten Island side of the Arthur Kill therefore, 

 the State of New Jersey is safe from foreign moscjuitoes, and will 

 obtain the full measure of exemption due for whatever w'ork is 

 done. 



The first step in any campaign is local in any case, and begins 

 with the individual. No person should tolerate any breeding 

 place of any character on premises owned or controlled by him 

 or her. The Duffield amendment to the State Health Law, passed 

 during the session of 1904, places waters or pools in which mos- 

 quito larvse breed among the nuisances that may be abated by 

 local boards of health. I have shown that the larv?e of Ano- 

 pheles breed almost anywhere and are liable to occur in any sort 

 of pool where mosquitoes can breed at all. Hence every breed- 

 ing place is a potential source of danger to health and the local 

 board is rightly to be charged with the duty of caring for local 

 conditions. Its power ceases, however, when the political lim- 

 its' for which it is appointed are reached and all breeding places 

 beyond these limits are beyond its control. It can only notify 



