448 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



CHAPTER VI. 

 OTHER SHORE POINTS. 



a. THE RARITAN RIVER PROBLEM. 



New Brunswick is on the Raritan River about ten miles from 

 its mouth if the windings of the river be followed, not over eight 

 miles in a direct line. There are no salt marshes within the limits 

 of New Brunswick, yet the only seriously troublesome mosquitoes 

 are the salt marsh species. There are plenty of breeding places 

 for C. pipiens within the city limits and some where C. sylvestris 

 and Anopheles breed; but for a comparatively small outlay, aided 

 by the powers vested in the local Boards of Health, the city 

 could be practically and permanently cleared of mosquitoes were 

 it not for the periodical irruption of the salt water forms. 



Naturally enough my first investigations were made near my 

 home city and I determined positively, after carefully surveying 

 both sides of the river to the city limits east and to Bound Brook 

 to the northwest, that the Raritan River was not in fault in that 

 stretch. While there are some breeding places along its banks, 

 especially on the east side, none of the species are migrants and, 

 so far as New Brunswick is concerned, they might just as well 

 be non-existent. These preliminary surveys were made by Mr, 

 Dickerson and myself before we had learnt much about the 

 habits of the salt marsh species. Afterward I sent Mr. Gross- 

 beck down the river with instructions to locate the breeding 

 places along its course. The river banks are high for some little 

 distance below the city and it is not until the vicinity of Sayre- 

 ville is reached, that the typical salt marsh begins to form the 

 banks. And as soon as that formation occurs, breeding places for 

 the salt marsh forms are found. These Raritan River meadows 

 have been kept under constant observation for two years and 

 almost every brood has been noted and watched for at New 

 Brunswick. The cities of South Amboy and Perth Amboy, sit- 

 uated at the river mouth, naturally get the heavy end of the sup- 

 ply and a large proportion of the breeding area lies within their 

 limits; but enough specimens are left over to supply Metuchen, 

 Stelton, New Brunswick, Milltown and all intervening points, 

 with sometimes an excess that extends to Bound Brook, Dunellen 

 and even Plainfield. 



Mr. Grossbeck's survey gave an outline of the general breed- 

 ing area and the question arose whether there could be any re- 



