598 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol, X11, 
who helped me by collecting but which has not as yet been issued as I 
have not yet received the fair proof :— 
NOTES ON THE COLLECTION AND 
PRESERVATION CF MOSQUITOES, 
Mosquitoes or gnats are small, two-winged insects (Déptera) and are all, 
except in the small genera Corethra and Mochlonyx, provided with a long, 
suctorial proboscis. In all cases, the males have beautifully plumed antenne, 
while those of the females, though also 14 or 15-jointed, have only a few 
scauty hairs, They are too well known to require minute description, 
and are unlikely to be confused with any family but the Chironomide or 
midges, from which they may be distinguished by the fact that, in all 
mosquitoes the veins of the wings are fringed with scales, like those of but- 
terflies and moths, 
Springing from either side of the root of the proboscis are two feelers or 
palpi which, in the males, are usually about the length of the proboscis, but, 
in the females, differ in length in the different genera. 
Behind the wings are a pair of club-shaped organs, the halteres or ballan- 
cers, which represent the hinder wings of four-winged insects, but in gnats 
are probably auditory organs, The thorax also carries three pairs of legs, 
each consisting of two short pieces, the coxe, at their root, followed by the 
femur, tibia, and five tarsal joints, the first of which last is generally as long 
as, or longer than the tibia. Hach leg ends in a pair of claws, often of com- 
plex form in the males, between which are plume-shaped epipodia which, by 
retaining air, enable the insect to pitch and float upon the surface of water. 
The abdomen shows eight visible segments and terminates in the males in 
a pair of claspers, and in the females in lobed appendages. 
Like all other Diptera, gnats undergo a complete metamorphosis. 
The adult insects deposit their eggs on the surface of standing water, and 
from these are hatched out larve, which may be found, in warm climates, in 
almost every small collection of water. 
After about ten days, the larvae change into small, tadpole-shaped creatures, 
the nymphs or pup#, provided with a pair of breathing horns, springing 
from the back of the thorax. While in this stage they do not eat, and after 
about three days, the pupa-skin bursts along the middle, and the full-grown — 
gnat slowly extricates itself and flies off. They generally pair immediately 
after, but many species do not deposit their eggs until they have obtained 
a feed of blood. As arule,it is only the females that bite, and they only 
occasionally ; the more habitual food of these insects being the juices of 
plants. 
The adult insects are found, not only in houses, but in groves, forests, and 
in any other situations where shade can be obtained during the day, while the 
iarve and pup are common in all small collections of water where there is 
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