I come last to the best and cheapest way of destroying 

 larvae when practicable ; and that is by emptying them 

 out upon the dry ground where they quickly perish 

 (unless it is raining). For vessels of water, empty them 

 out on a gravel patch or on absorbant earth ; for small 

 puddles on the ground, brush them out with a broom. 



After all, the broom is perhaps the most deadly weapon 

 in the hands of the Anopheles gang. After an isolated 

 shower of rain, or when continuous rains are breaking up 

 into single showers ; when the sun comes out brightly, and 

 innumerable puddles, which would normally remain for 

 weeks and breed legions of mosquitoes, lie seething on the 

 ground, then comes the triumph of the broom. Every 

 available man is armed with this primeval weapon, and the 

 contents of every puddle, with its delicate inhabitants, 

 are dashed out on the heated soil, or swept into the swollen 

 gutters and watercourses a whole generation wiped out 

 in a few hours' work. 



After the area of the town has been properly drained, 

 the broom will still be required here and there for removing 

 chance collections of water. 



In some cases where neither drainage nor oil can be 

 employed, it may be possible to catch the larvae by means 

 of muslin or wire gauze nets as for example in wells. 



15. Destruction of Adults. As already mentioned, I 

 have often observed the fact that very soon after all 

 collections of water have been removed from the vicinity 

 of the house, the adult insects living in the rooms dis- 

 appear. I presume that they wander away elsewhere to 

 find water to lay their eggs in or to drink, and then forget 

 to return. 





