88 HOW TO COLLt^CT 



be put in small ^lass tubes, and then corked ; the corks may be 

 coated with paraffin wax, though this is not absokitely necessary. 

 Each tube should contain a scrap of paper, on which the necessary 

 data (locality, date, whether from fresh or salt water, collector's 

 name, etc., with, if possible, a reference to pinned specimens of the 

 perfect insect, so that these may be identified) should be written in 

 pencil. 



The tubes should be packed in cotton-wool in a small tin box for 

 transmission to England. 



It is scarcely necessary to add that each species should be kept 

 distinct, in a separate tube. 



Observations on Habits, Distribution, etc. 



Detailed observations on the habits, distribution, seasonal occur- 

 rence, etc., of mosquitoes will always be useful, provided that care 

 is taken to note the species to which they apply — the species being 

 distinguished by means of letters or numbers written on the under- 

 sides of the discs to which the specimens are pinned. 



While it is certain that in a natural state only an infinitesimally 

 small proportion of all the mosquitoes that come into existence can 

 possibly taste the blood of a warm-blooded animal, it is reasonable 

 to suppose that primitively all Culicidce fed upon the juices of plants ; 

 some species are still exclusively vegetarian in both sexes ; in others, 

 while the males are vegetarian, the females suck animal blood — in 

 some species only exceptionally, in others habitually ; and, finally, 

 there are species in which both sexes suck animal blood. These 

 characters should be noted. 



Collectors in countries infested by mosquitoes will render especially 

 valuable assistance by making observations and investigations on 

 the following subjects : — 



1. The characters, breeding-ground, larvae, and pup?e of 

 Sabethes, especially noting the (^ and ? characters of each 

 species. 



2. The antennae, the frontal and the palmate hairs of the 

 larvae of all the Anopheles : detailed drawings are desirable. 



3. The ova of Mucidtis, MegarJiiniis, Eretmapodites, Sabethes, 

 Wyeonif/ia, Uo^anotcenia, jEdes, etc. 



