﻿28.— 
  TRAPS 
  FOR 
  M0SQUIT08. 
  

  

  (Plate 
  XXXIX); 
  

  

  By 
  T. 
  Bainbrigge 
  Fletcher, 
  R.N., 
  F.L.S., 
  F.E.S., 
  F.Z.S., 
  Imferial 
  

  

  Entomologist. 
  

  

  The 
  fact 
  that 
  mosquitos 
  hide 
  during 
  the 
  daytime 
  in 
  dark 
  situations 
  

   such 
  as 
  are 
  provided 
  in 
  the 
  ordinary 
  bungalow 
  by 
  cupboards, 
  boots, 
  

   book-cases, 
  etc., 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  ordinary 
  daily 
  observation 
  in 
  India 
  

   and 
  attempts 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  with 
  some 
  success 
  to 
  utilize 
  this 
  habit 
  

   to 
  trap 
  and 
  destroy 
  them. 
  An 
  ordinary 
  box 
  provided 
  with 
  a 
  hinged 
  

   lid, 
  which 
  is 
  left 
  slightly 
  ajar, 
  is 
  a 
  simple 
  means 
  to 
  this 
  end, 
  and 
  this 
  

   method 
  is 
  slightly 
  elaborated 
  in 
  the 
  Wa^json 
  pattern 
  of 
  mosquito 
  box- 
  

   trap 
  which 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  box 
  lined 
  with 
  black 
  cloth 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  hinged 
  

   lid 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  held 
  half 
  open 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  metal 
  clip, 
  the 
  lid 
  being 
  

   provided 
  with 
  a 
  hole 
  fitted 
  with 
  wirenetting 
  through 
  which 
  a 
  liquid, 
  

   such 
  as 
  chloroform 
  or 
  benzine, 
  can 
  be 
  poured 
  to 
  kill 
  off 
  the 
  mosquitos 
  

   caught 
  in 
  the 
  box. 
  The 
  method 
  of 
  use 
  of 
  such 
  traps 
  is 
  smiple 
  and 
  

   consists 
  of 
  placing 
  the 
  box, 
  with 
  the 
  lid 
  held 
  open 
  by 
  the 
  clip, 
  in 
  a 
  

   suitable 
  corner 
  overnight 
  and 
  letting 
  down 
  the 
  lid 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  when 
  

   the 
  mosquitos 
  have 
  retired 
  for 
  the 
  day 
  into 
  the 
  dark 
  cavity 
  thus 
  pro- 
  

   vided 
  for 
  them. 
  They 
  are 
  then 
  poisoned 
  by 
  pouring 
  in 
  the 
  necessary 
  

   liquid 
  through 
  the 
  hole 
  in 
  the 
  lid. 
  Such 
  a 
  box-trap 
  is 
  often 
  very 
  effectual 
  

   in 
  catching 
  mosquitos 
  when 
  these 
  are 
  present 
  in 
  large 
  numbers 
  but 
  it 
  

   suffers 
  from 
  the 
  defects 
  :— 
  (1) 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  possible 
  to 
  see 
  what 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  box 
  ; 
  

   it 
  may 
  happen 
  that 
  this 
  is 
  empty, 
  (2) 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  use 
  a 
  liquid 
  

   poison 
  such 
  as 
  chloroform 
  or 
  benzine 
  and 
  these 
  are 
  not 
  always 
  avail- 
  

   able 
  in 
  the 
  ordinary 
  household, 
  (3) 
  if 
  the 
  box 
  is 
  not 
  thoroughly 
  aired 
  

   afterwards, 
  a 
  trace 
  of 
  the 
  smell 
  of 
  the 
  poison 
  employed 
  may 
  remain 
  

   in 
  it 
  and 
  repel 
  mosquitos 
  from 
  entering 
  it 
  on 
  a 
  subsequent 
  occasion. 
  

  

  To 
  obviate 
  these 
  defects, 
  some 
  five 
  years 
  ago 
  I 
  designed 
  a 
  new 
  type 
  

   of 
  box-trap 
  (Plate 
  XXXIX, 
  fige. 
  la, 
  h), 
  which 
  consists 
  essentially 
  of 
  

   a 
  wooden 
  skeleton 
  of 
  a 
  box 
  with 
  a 
  hinged 
  lid, 
  covered 
  over 
  on 
  all 
  six 
  

   sides 
  with 
  black 
  mosquito-netting. 
  This 
  skeleton 
  box 
  is 
  contained 
  

   inside 
  an 
  open-topped 
  wooden 
  box 
  which 
  is 
  painted 
  black 
  on 
  the 
  

   inside. 
  The 
  whole 
  is 
  then 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  suitable 
  position 
  overnight 
  and 
  

   left 
  with 
  the 
  hinged 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  inner 
  box 
  open. 
  In 
  the 
  morning, 
  when 
  

   the 
  mosquitos 
  have 
  settled 
  down, 
  the 
  hinged 
  lid 
  is 
  closed 
  and 
  fastened 
  

   with 
  the 
  metal 
  hook-fastener, 
  and 
  the 
  inner 
  box 
  can 
  then 
  be 
  lifted 
  out 
  

   by 
  the 
  handles 
  provided 
  for 
  this 
  purpose. 
  It 
  can 
  then 
  be 
  seen 
  at 
  once 
  

   what 
  the 
  catch 
  is. 
  It 
  now 
  remains 
  to 
  kill 
  the 
  captured 
  mosquitos 
  and 
  

  

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