The Mosquitoes of New Jersey 



55 



the shallowest pools of the salt-marshes and traveled up streams into 

 water of very low salinity, that when in land-locked pools it is able 

 to maintain itself over winter by burying itself in the mud, but that 

 when the way is open it will return to deep water and come to visit 

 the marshes when the temperature reaches 45° F. In land-locked 

 pools these tish burrow into the mud to a depth of from 6 to 8 

 inches, when the temperature of the water reached 45° F. 



Fig. 26. Nature of breeding pool. What occurs in it. 

 I, eggs; 2, small larvae; 3, developed larvae; 4, pupae; 5, adult. 



Dr. Chidester's work shows that the inland migration of the com- 

 mon killy begins as early as the latter part of March and that egg- 

 charged females are found as early as April 19. In the early spring 

 three types of this species enter and spread in the marshes: larger 

 males and females, the latter of which will lay eggs in a week or 

 two; medium-sized -(one-half grown) which will not lay eggs for a 

 month ; and the small fish which are the products of the previous 

 year and which will not lay eggs until toward the end of the season. 



The eggs of the common killy fall to the muddy bottom and then 

 undergo development. In about three weeks the eggs complete de- 

 velopment and the young fry hatch. 



From the time it is large enough the common killy feeds voracior.s- 

 ly on mosquito wrigglers whenever it can get them. A single iv.c- 

 dium-sized fish will consume as many as 50 wrigglers a day. 



Artificial 



THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM 



Wherever the salt marsh or any portion thereof is covered by 

 either tide or rain-water at summer temperature a brood of wrig- 

 glers (immature mosquitoes) hatches from the eggs with which the 



