REPORT ON MOSQUITOES. 351 



Brakeley returned to Eahaway early in this month and on the 

 13th — lucky day — he found the eo-gs floating on the surface of 

 the water in the pitcher plants. 



September 14th, I had an opportunity to spend a couple of 

 hours in a swamp in the pines near Hanover Station, Burlington 

 County, and found the pitcher plants there full of the IVyeomyia 

 in all stages from babes to pup^T. Collected the entire contents 

 of the pitchers in alcohol, and found afterward that eggs were 

 present in some numbers. But meanwhile Mr. Brakeley had 

 positively identified them, and had even bred a lot of larvae, 

 making the relation absolutely certain. He collected from time 

 to time, until October 20th, and found anywhere from five or six 

 to thirty or more eggs in a single leaf. Oviposition was con- 

 tinuous, but on only two occasions were adults seen apparently 

 engaged in the process. It is probable that the egg-laying is 

 done mostly at night. 



After the eggs had once been identified there was no difficulty 

 in finding them, but it was noted that in the older leaves where 

 lan'as were now most abundant, they were not sO' plentiful as 

 they should be to account for the large winter supply. So at- 

 tention was directed to the younger leaves, even where there was 

 as yet nO' water in them. Here, it was discovered, was the favor- 

 ite place for ovipositing, with this species. Eggs were laid in 

 leaves as yet perfectly dry, at the bottom and at the sides, singly 

 or in little groups, whether by one or more than one female was 

 not ascertained. Of the old leaves many become imperfect in 

 late fall and any puncture or decay allowing the water to escape 

 would, of course, mean the death of the larvae. So the new 

 leaves are selected and in them many more eggs were found than 

 in the others. In one case Mr. Brakeley counted up to seventy- 

 five, then lumped the remainder and called it one hundred. It is 

 scarcely probable that any one female of this species is capable 

 of producing one hundred eggs of the comparatively large size 

 of those in question ; sO' two at least, and possibly more females 

 may oviposit in a suitable leaf. 



Observations were continued until frost, which came unusually 

 early in 1901. Up to November eggs were found, and early in 

 that month a few pup?e. So breeding is continued just as long 

 as there is a chance to keep it up. 



The eggs are chestnut brown in color, somewhat chunky, bean- 

 shaped, the ends somewhat pointed, the inner margin nearly 

 straight. There is no evident sculpture, yet when first mounted 

 and examined under the miscroscope, there seems to be a some- 



