REPORT OX MOSQUITOES. 325 



rain there were as many as ever. They seem able, apparently, to 

 seek out the wettest places and may even survive for a time in 

 soft mud. April 2d and 3d, collected another lot of over 100 

 larvae for shipment to me, and up to that time there had been no 

 pui3a seen. The first specimen in the culture material pupated 

 April 4th, and as I obtained the first pupa just a day earlier, this 

 may be considered the beginning of the pupation period. Th.e 

 pupa is small in proportion to the size of the larva and the period 

 of this stage is from six to ten days. The last larvae were col- 

 lected by Mr. Brakeley ]May 5th, and in nature only one pupa was 

 taken — an accidental mingled with canadensis. 



This record of collections made is an interesting one and 

 proves positively that the larva of C. melamirus lives through the 

 winter in the half-grown condition. It is essentially a clean- 

 water wriggler and requires a sheltered locality, like woodland, 

 or an over-grown swamp area, to develop. An area that freezes 

 solid would probably prove fatal, but in spring-w^ater the tem- 

 perature rarely gets much below 40 degrees, even in the coldest 

 weather, and when there is an ice-covering in the swamp there 

 are the recesses under the edges and the deep, soft mud to serve 

 as retreats. I have no record of the re-occurrence of this larva 

 in the springs before October, and none of the summer collec- 

 tions sent in by Mr. Brakeley contained specimens. Nor have I 

 seen any very small larvae or eggs. 



A characteristic feature of the species is its remarkably slow 

 growth in spring and the long delay in pupation. The larvae are 

 half grown, or more, before canadensis, or aurifer, are born, yet 

 the latter become adult as soon, or sooner. They are slow in 

 their movements and seem to take life easy, " like a group of 

 dreamy philosophers," as Mr. Brakeley puts it. They are bot- 

 tom-feeders of necessity, since the water in which they live has 

 only a small supply of organic life, but in the leaves at the 

 bottom of the springs and in the mud of the swamp pools their 

 food is found. So they have well developed trachea in the anal 

 gills and are not dependent upon atmospheric air for their sup- 

 ply of oxygen. This peculiarity is also essential, as their swamp 

 breeding places may and do become completelv ice-covered. 



As to the egg-laying habits, nothing is known to me. They 

 are probably laid on the surface and may, or mav not, sink to 

 the bottom before hatching. 



CULEX TERRITANS, WLK. 



The Little Black Mosquito. 



This is a small black mosquito with long, unhanded legs and 

 beak and unspotted wings. The abdomen is narrowly banded 



