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OBSERVATIONS ON CULEX PIPIENS. 185 
humanity. The male is of a gentler disposition, and if he 
feeds at all, it appears that he affects only the nectar from ripe 
fruits or similar ambrosial dainties. 
My personal observations of and experiments with many 
different species confirms the generally accepted fact, though 
observations of males biting and sucking blood have been 
recorded. Such observations lack confirmation. Certain 
species, it may be noted, amongst which is a British Guiana 
species of Aedeomyia, have not been observed to bite at all. 
This applies to both sexes. I have, however, found this 
species on the curtains in my bedroom at times, and suspected 
that in the darkness she may possibly be more adventurous 
than in the light. Examination of the stomach, however, has 
never shewn any blood contents. 
There is, however, no doubt about the blood lust of our 
British species. 
So far as I have been able to ascertain, no authentic record 
of the identification of mosquitoes in Dumfries and Galloway 
exists prior to my publication of their occurrence at Spring- 
holm in the present year. There appears, however, to have 
been a current opinion that at times the annoyance experi- 
enced by labourers in the harvest fields was due to this insect, 
and this opinion may perhaps be well founded. 
My attention was first drawn to their presence in Spring- 
holm by seeing one on the wing near an outhouse of the hotel 
in which I was staying for a few weeks in August and Septem- 
ber. 
The first specimen, taken by a sweep of the hand, was in 
a somewhat crushed condition, but was clearly a mosquito of 
Culex type. I had fortunately some glass bottomed boxes in 
my kit, and later with these I caught specimens in good con- 
dition, which I identified as Culex pipiens. This identification 
was afterwards confirmed by Professor R. Newstead, F.R.S., 
and Mr C. J. Gahey, of the British Museum. I immediately 
began a search for breeding places, and came upon a tub of 
wash in which sheep manure had been collected. In the thick 
fluid superincumbent were a number of pup, vigorous and 
lively, but, so far as I could find, no larve. From the pupze 
