REPORT ON MOSQUITOES. 193 



larvse are splendid swimmers and are constantly swimming 

 along- the surface, but nearly always in a backward direction. 



"Mr. Theobald states that the eggs, as noted by Dr. Grabham, 

 are laid singly. Although careful search for the eggs was repeat- 

 edly made, they could not be found. The larvae would invariably 

 appear in a pool within twelve hours after the formation of the 

 pool by a rain storm. The conviction was gradually forced upon 

 me that the eggs were deposited in or upon the mud to await 

 the coming of the rain." 



In a general way our observations agree with those of Prof. 

 Herrick ; but in New Jersey the habit of assuming the horizontal 

 position seems much less developed. The younger larvae do 

 assume and for a time maintain it ; but when nearly mature the 

 larvae take the horizontal position upon rising to the surface, 

 maintain it for a few moments only and then drop back to the 

 normal Cidex position. As to the oviposition, I believe that ' 

 Prof. Herrick is right : the eggs are laid on the moist mud very 

 close to the edge of a pool or in the bed of an old pool itself, and 

 there they remain until stimulated to development by a water 

 covering. 



CULEX DISCOI^OR, coo. 



The Mottled Mosquito. 



This is a yellowish brown mosquito of rather small size, with 

 legs and beak banded ; the abdomen is mottled with brown and 

 yellowish white, and the wings are spotted. It is the only New 

 Jersey species in which this combination occurs and is, therefore, 

 \ery easily recognized. 



Description of the Adult. 



This mosquito is of medium or small size and not very robust 

 in appearance. In length it is 4 to 6 mm.,=.i6 to .24 of an inch 

 excluding the beak. The latter is short and thick, excavated cen- 

 trally and about one-third the length of the body, the apical third 

 black, central portion white, graduallv merging into the black at 

 the base. Sometimes the white extends almost to the head. 

 Across the wings it averages in measure about 9 mm., or .36 of 

 an inch. The eyes meet on the top of the head and occupy the 

 whole anterior part. The occiput is covered with yellowish 

 scales. The palpi in the female (fig. ^^y, 2) are four-jointed, 

 rather broad, the terminal segment reduced to an extremely small 



T^ MO 



