400 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XX. 



with the spread of the disease. This makes it necessary that 

 as many people as possible should learn to recognise a ' really 

 dangerous anopheles mosquito when they see it. 



With a very little practice, anyone who has learned to distinguish 

 Anopheles mosquitoes from the ordinary Culex and Stegomyia can 

 easily learn to tell the dangerous anopheles of Bombay from the 

 harmless M. rossi. It is most important that people should know 

 N. stephensi when they see it and the other species of anopheles are 

 not difficult to recognise also. 



The ^Recognition of Bombay Anophelines. 



Every one should learn to clearly distinguish between Culicine 

 and Anopheline mosquitoes. In Bombay the following points 

 will help people to say whether a mosquito is an anopheles or 

 not : — 



Examine and note — 



(1) The attitude. — Culex and Stegomyia mosquitoes, when rest- 



ing, keep their body nearly parallel with the surface 

 upon which they are sitting. Anophelines rest with their 

 tails raised higher than their head. 



(2) Shape. — Culex and Stegomyia mosquitoes have a hump- 



backed appearance. Anophelines have straight backs 

 and keep their bodies and their proboscis in a straight 

 line. 



(3) All Culex and Stegomyia mosquitoes in Bombay have 



clear looking wings. All the Bombay Anopheles have 

 spotted wings. 

 Note. — There are some species of Culex in India that possess spotted wings but 

 none of these have been found in ' Bombay. People must carefully distinguish 

 between the black and white Stegomyia mosquito common in Bombay, which has 

 white marks on its body and legs but clear looking wings. Many people mistake 

 these mosquitoes for anopheles. 



M. rossi. 



The adults of this species of anopheles mosquito can be caught 

 fairly easily almost anywhere in Bombay. They are fairly large 

 in size and usually a light brown in colour with the wings covered 

 with black spots. The female mosquito can easily be identified by 

 the naked eye, but those who are not expert are recommended to 





