XII, D, 3 Seale: The Mosquito Fish 185 



In this work Doctor Howard writes, "By far the most effective natural 

 enemy of the mosquito larvae and pupae are fish." Among the fishes 

 mentioned are top-minnows, sticklebacks, and sunfish. Regarding the mos- 

 quito-fish (Gambusia affinis) he quotes Dr. H. F. Moore, of the United 

 States Bureau of Fisheries, as follows : "It feeds largely on vegetable matter 

 but also on insects." Moore is undoubtedly misinformed on this subject, as 

 I have examined hundreds of stomachs of Gambusia affinis and have kept 

 individuals of this species under close observation for more than two years, 

 but have never seen the slightest indication that they would feed on vegeta- 

 tion even under the starvation test. Doctor Howard also lists the western 

 salamander (Diemytylus) , dragon-flies, predatory aquatic insects, and 

 tadpoles as active enemies of the mosquito. 



Idem. Remedies and preventives against mosquitoes. Farm. Bull. U. S. 

 Dept. Agr. (1911), No. 444. 



Gives a list of protective liquids and recommends: Oil of citronella, 1 

 ounce; spirits of camphor, 1 ounce; oil of cedar, J ounce. This paper also 

 gives methods of screening, smudging, and fumigating, recommending for 

 this purpose pyrethrum powder. The irritation caused by the bite of the 

 mosquito may be relieved by applying a cake of moist soap to the bite. In 

 regard to the destruction of mosquito larvae by natural enemies, this paper 

 contains the following statement: "The common goldfish and silverfish 

 destroy mosquito larvae and should be put in artificial ponds. Top-minnows 

 of several species have been introduced successfully in several localities and 

 are great feeders upon mosquito larvae. Certain species introduced from 

 Texas into Hawaii have been successful; and a small top-minnow of the 

 genus Girardinus, known in the Barbados as 'millions,' has been carried 

 with success to others of the British West India Islands. In Rio de Janeiro 

 another top-minnow has been used by the public health service for placing 

 in tanks and boxes where it was impossible to use petroleum." 

 Idem. Some facts about malaria. Farm. Bull. U. S. Dept. Agr. (1911), 

 No. 450. 



Contains descriptions and figures of the malarial mosquitoes. Suggests 

 that protection may be secured by the use of nets, by screening, and by the 

 destruction of mosquitoes. Quininization of people in malarial districts is 

 also suggested. 



KuNTZ, Albert. Notes on the habits, morphology of the reproductive 

 organs, and embryology of the viviparous fish Gambusia affinis. Bull. 

 U. S. Bur. Fish. (1913), 33, Doc. No. 806. 

 This is an excellent paper on the mosquito fish. 



LePrince, Joseph Albert Augustin. Impounded waters. A study of 

 such waters on the Coosa River in Shelby, Chilton, Talladega, and Coosa 

 Counties, Ala., to determine the extent to which they affect the pro- 

 duction of anophelines, and of the particular conditions which increase 

 or decrease their propagation. Reprint No. 257 from the U. S. Public 

 Health Reports (1915), 30. 



A study of certain impounded waters in Alabama that were found to 

 contain malarial and other mosquitoes. The debris, floating pine needles, 

 branches, and logs were found to furnish resting and breeding places for the 

 larvae of Anopheles. Regarding the destruction of these by natural enemies, 

 LePrince states (p. 11) : "Where small top-feeding minnows are present in 

 numbers in the absence of debris, the number of Anopheles larvae found at 



