THE MOSQUITO 63 



posing them to chloroform or benzine, or by 

 sweeping out the contents, considerable numbers 

 of mosquitos might be destroyed. A dark 

 blue, sticky solution might be even more 

 effective. After reading this chapter in the 

 British Medical Journal^ Mr. J. Cropper of 

 Chepstow wrote to me as follows : — 



Seeing your article on Colour Selection by Ano- 

 pheles reminds me that I found the dark navy- 

 blue lining of my tent this summer (in Palestine) 

 extremely attractive to mosquitos, almost entirely 

 Anopheles ; and when the sun got hot I always 

 noticed an increase in their numbers, presumably 

 as they came from the herbage and trees near by. 

 No one ever slept in the tent, and I never found 

 Anopheles bite in the day-time. 



The best way of ' downing ' mosquitos 

 is to prevent the imago hatching, and this, 

 as has been indicated, can be done by killing 

 the larvae and the pupae, which is effected 

 by brushing oil on the water in which they 

 live. The petrol or crude mineral oil should 

 be renewed from time to time as it evaporates. 

 When once the mosquitos are hatched, every 

 effort should be made to keep them out- 

 side dwelling-houses by means of wire screens, 

 but if that be impracticable mosquito-nets 

 should be used at nights. Professor Lefroy re- 

 commends one with sixteen to eighteen meshes 

 ' to the inch.' They may be driven away from 



