MOSQUITOS OR CULICIDAE OF NEW YORK STATE 245 



time and money expended by a specialist in solving these pre- 

 liminary problems are exceedingly well invested, and the saving 

 resulting from his services should pay for the cost of his work 

 many times over. 



It must not be assumed that we know all about mosquitos. 

 Much valuable work has already been done, but there is great need 

 in this State of a general biologic survey of the more important 

 swamp areas, particularly those about large cities, for the purpose 

 of determining the places most prolific of mosquitos, the species 

 which occur there, and the times when they are most likely to 

 appear. The effect of climate and other conditions on the 

 abundance of these insects should be carefully studied, since there 

 is considerable variation in this respect. The number of kinds of 

 mosquitos occurring in different areas should be determined, and 

 their habits, powers of flight, etc. carefully ascertained. There is 

 great divergence in this respect among the different species, and 

 knowledge of this is of utmost importance in all practical efforts 

 looking to their subjection. These fundamental facts acquired, 

 we are in position to determine by experiment the best method of 

 solving the problem under various conditions. Every effort 

 should be made to find solutions which will result in the increased 

 value of swamp lands, paying very largely or entirely for the 

 improvement; in other words, aim wherever possible to make 

 permanent betterments which will pay for themselves and inci- 

 dentally solve the mosquito problem. The extensive swamp areas 

 about New York city, if reclaimed, would possess considerable 

 value either for market garden purposes, or, in the course of time, 

 as residential sites. 



Mosquitos as carriers of disease. A number of years ago it was 

 demonstrated that filariasis or elephantiasis was conveyed by 

 the bite of certain mosquitos, and more recent investigations have 

 shown that both malaria and yellow fever are disseminated in the 

 same manner. In fact, it is very probable that these diseases of 

 man can be spread in no other way, and there is a possibility that 

 others of a similar character may pass a portion of their life in 

 and depend for transmission on members of this exceedingly inter- 

 esting and important group. 



