300 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Life history. The life history of this insect has been partially 

 worked out. Dr Grabham states that the eggs are laid singly, and 

 Professor Herrick found that the larvae invariably appear in pools 

 within 12 hours after their formation by rain. This led him to 

 believe that the eggs are deposited on the mud and hatched when 

 soaked by rain, and the correctness of this conclusion is further 

 substantiated by Dr Smith's observations on C . s o 1 1 i c i t a n s . 

 The young larvae were first met with by Professor Herrick, in an 



Fig. 4 1 Pecten of another 

 larva equally enlarged 



Fig. 43 Last segment of lai'va of 

 Culex jamaicensis 



open sewer drain, though later he more often found them in rain 

 water pools, and his attention was attracted on account of their 

 large size as compared with those of 0. f a t i g a n s . The larvae 

 frequently rest in a nearly horizontal position, much resembling 

 Anopheles in this respect. Professor Herrick states that, when 

 the larvae first rise to the surface they assume a position 

 very similar to that of most species of Culex, but after a few 

 moments, if left undisturbed, there is a slight jerk and the body 

 quickly assumes an approximately horizontal position, the head 

 being on a level with the surface of the water. He observed that 

 the body after a few minutes, instead of lying nearly horizontal,. 

 as does that of Anopheles, hangs suspended like a piece of slack 



