﻿BREEDING-PLACES 
  OF 
  nil-: 
  ANOPHELINES 
  OF 
  MALAYA. 
  7 
  

  

  The 
  swamp 
  (L) 
  is 
  a 
  natural 
  feature 
  : 
  the 
  ponds 
  (K, 
  N, 
  0, 
  P) 
  were 
  probably 
  old 
  

   mining 
  holes, 
  and 
  were 
  approximately 
  of 
  tin- 
  same 
  size 
  and 
  depth. 
  

  

  The 
  swamp 
  is 
  a 
  shallow 
  one, 
  overgrown 
  with 
  reeds 
  and 
  coarse 
  grass, 
  but 
  open 
  

   here 
  and 
  there 
  with 
  large 
  stretches 
  probably 
  of 
  deep 
  water. 
  At 
  the 
  time 
  collections 
  

   were 
  made 
  a 
  slow 
  current 
  of 
  water 
  was 
  moving. 
  The 
  larvae 
  here 
  obtained 
  In 
  two 
  

   collections 
  are 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  table 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Date. 
  A. 
  aconitus. 
  A. 
  barbirostris. 
  A. 
  hyrcanus. 
  

  

  23.iii.21 
  98 
  .. 
  47 
  .. 
  IS 
  

  

  31.iii.21 
  65 
  .. 
  8 
  17 
  

  

  The 
  pond 
  (K) 
  was 
  a 
  collection 
  of 
  stagnant 
  water 
  situated 
  among 
  young 
  Hevea 
  

   trees, 
  but 
  unshaded 
  from 
  the 
  overhead 
  sun. 
  A 
  few 
  tufts 
  of 
  coarse 
  vegetation 
  grew 
  

   in 
  one 
  corner 
  but, 
  apart 
  from 
  that, 
  it 
  was 
  almost 
  free 
  from 
  floating 
  aquatic 
  plants. 
  

  

  The 
  larvae 
  obtained 
  by 
  two 
  collections 
  are 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  tables 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Date. 
  A. 
  aconitus. 
  A 
  . 
  barbirostris. 
  A. 
  hyrcanus. 
  

  

  22.iii.2I 
  52 
  .. 
  9 
  .. 
  9 
  

  

  31.iii.21 
  8 
  .. 
  37 
  .. 
  — 
  

  

  Thus 
  in 
  breeding-places 
  (K) 
  and 
  (L), 
  close 
  together, 
  but 
  showing 
  very 
  different 
  

   characteristics, 
  A 
  . 
  aconitus 
  was 
  by 
  far 
  the 
  most 
  dominant 
  species 
  in 
  three 
  collections, 
  

   though 
  in 
  the 
  fourth, 
  that 
  obtained 
  on 
  31st 
  March, 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  marked 
  diminution 
  

   in 
  the 
  numbers 
  obtained. 
  

  

  Ponds 
  (X) 
  and 
  (O), 
  situated 
  about 
  100 
  yards 
  away 
  from 
  pond 
  (K) 
  and 
  swamp 
  (L), 
  

   were 
  characterised 
  by 
  a 
  dense 
  growth 
  of 
  large 
  surface 
  aquatic 
  plants, 
  with 
  rushes 
  and 
  

   some 
  reeds 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  at 
  the 
  margins. 
  On 
  pond 
  (X) 
  the 
  surface 
  plants 
  were 
  

   chiefly 
  the 
  " 
  Japanese 
  Hyacinth 
  " 
  and 
  " 
  Cabbage 
  weed 
  " 
  and 
  on 
  pond 
  (O) 
  the 
  latter 
  

   only 
  . 
  These 
  plants 
  were 
  probably 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  cultivated 
  by 
  a 
  Chinese 
  farmer, 
  for 
  they 
  

   are 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  feeding 
  pigs. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  larva 
  collection 
  was 
  obtained 
  from 
  pond 
  (X) 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Date. 
  A. 
  aconitus. 
  A. 
  barbirostris. 
  A. 
  hyrcanus. 
  

  

  5.iv.21 
  — 
  .. 
  197 
  .. 
  -12 
  

  

  In 
  pond 
  (0) 
  the 
  following 
  larvae 
  were 
  obtained 
  : 
  — 
  

   Date. 
  A. 
  aconitus. 
  A. 
  barbirostris. 
  A. 
  hyrcanus. 
  A. 
  fuliginosus. 
  

  

  5.iv.21 
  — 
  .. 
  .. 
  90 
  .. 
  40 
  

  

  The 
  remaining 
  breeding- 
  place 
  examined 
  was 
  a 
  pond 
  of 
  stagnant 
  water 
  (P) 
  more 
  

   shaded 
  by 
  trees 
  than 
  the 
  four 
  other 
  places 
  and 
  situated 
  within 
  50 
  yards 
  of 
  a 
  Chinese 
  

   house 
  and 
  about. 
  250 
  yards 
  from 
  the 
  other 
  breeding-places. 
  Tufts 
  of 
  grass 
  dotted 
  

   the 
  surface 
  thinly, 
  and 
  there 
  was 
  no 
  surface 
  vegetation. 
  Xeither 
  was 
  there 
  any 
  vegeta- 
  

   tion 
  on 
  the 
  banks. 
  A 
  collection 
  made 
  here 
  afforded 
  the 
  following 
  larvae 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Date. 
  A. 
  acorn; 
  A. 
  barbirostris. 
  A. 
  sinensis. 
  A. 
  fuliginosus. 
  

  

  5.iv.21 
  6 
  % 
  8 
  76 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  difficulty, 
  therefore, 
  in 
  believing 
  that 
  any 
  outward 
  characteristics 
  of 
  a 
  

   breeding-place 
  influence 
  the 
  preference 
  of 
  A. 
  aconitus. 
  To 
  what 
  causes, 
  apart 
  from 
  

   these, 
  can 
  the 
  differences 
  in 
  distribution 
  be 
  due 
  ? 
  In 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  Anophe- 
  

   lines, 
  their 
  fertility 
  and, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  is 
  known, 
  the 
  comparative 
  freedom 
  of 
  their 
  larvae 
  

   from 
  attack 
  by 
  natural 
  enemies, 
  it 
  might 
  be 
  thought 
  that 
  oviposition 
  is 
  entirely 
  hap- 
  

   hazard, 
  the 
  female 
  trusting 
  to 
  lucky 
  chance, 
  like 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  Bombyliid 
  flies 
  for 
  

  

  