24 CAIJKOKNIA FJSII AND GAME. 



be prevented, and a tronblesome nuisance and a real source of danger 

 woidd be largely eliminated, for the mosquitoes which attack us have 

 mostly- been bred close by. 



There would remain, however, many isolated pools in the salt marslies, 

 along the sides of the lower courses of the streams, and in their upper 

 canyons. These pools are usually without fishes, and in some of them 

 dangerous mosquitoes breed in abundance. The stocking of these 

 l)()()ls with sticklebacks would doubtless, in many cases at least, prove 

 lioth possible and advisable. This might be done independently In- 

 those people interested in their own welfare, or perhaps better by some 

 ])ublic official. It is quite probable that in the swampy lands and in 

 the rice fields along the Sacramento River, the little topmiunows would 

 ])rove more effieient enemies of the malaria mosquitoes than the stickle- 

 backs. The California Fish and Game Commission is working with 

 that idea in view. 



The control of mosquitoes is quite possible, in part by the use of the 

 sticklebaek. as advocated in this artiele, and in part by other methods, 

 such as the draining of swamps, etc. It is to be hoped that the j/ropei- 

 authorities in California will increase their energy in this field, for 

 the effective control of mosquitoes within its borders would make 

 California an even safer and more pleasant place in which to live than 

 it is now. 



EARLY STAGES OF THE SPINY LOBSTER TAKEN BY THE 

 BOAT "ALBACORE. " = 



By WALDO L. SCHMITT, United States National Museum. 



The investigations of the Fish and Game Commission l)oat, the 

 ''Albacore, " have recently yielded some valuable returns, during her 

 scientific investigations of the eonnnercial fishes and fisiieries of so>ithern 

 California, in the shape of hitherto unknown larval stages of the Cali- 

 fornia spiny lobster {Panuh'ru.s interruptus). 



Under the auspices of the ["^nited States Bureau of Fisheries and 

 through the courtesy of the Scripps Institution the Avriter recently 

 spent sonu^ months in California primarily for the purpose of making 

 a study of the Scripps Institution's extensive series of plankton samples 

 in the hopes of shedding some light on the life Irstory of the spiny 

 lobster. Though in considerable number, only the earlier larval stages 

 were represented in their collections. t 



*Mr. Waldo L. .Srlimitt of the United States National Museum, lia.s made a 

 .-■pecial study of marine crustacea, and the opportunity to provide him witli material 

 for the study of tlie early stages of the spiny lobster was a very welcome one to the 

 Fish and Game Commission. His visit to this coast tame at a time when the 

 scientific work of the "Albacore" was but fairly under way. and the fact that it 

 was able to provide him with material which seems to be of verv considerable value 

 should be of happy portent for the future. 'I' he superintendence of the hauls and of 

 the handling of the nets was very competently done by Mr. Elmer Higgins. attached 

 to the "Albacore" as a scientific assistant during- her work on larval fish. 



It will be v.-ell to call attention to the significance of the wide distribution of the 

 larval lobsters. These flat, transparent organisms are found floating freely in the 

 water, and are distributed by the currents. Althougli we do not know, of course, 

 what proportion of the larva; are carried along the coast by the currents, nor what 

 number.s of them finally succeed in obtaining a suitable footing on the completion 

 of their development, yet it should be fairly clear that there is an interdependence 

 between widely .separated regions inhabited by the .spiny lobster. — Will F. Thompson. 



tSub-sequent to the taking of the large phyllosomes referred to below, one of like 

 size was tound in the Scripps Institution collections. It is interesting to note in this 

 connection that in one of thc"r large aquarium tanks they succeeded in hatching 

 out the first phyllosome .sta,t;e tliis past summer fiom tlie eggs carried bv a single 

 lieiried female. 



I 



