I03 



Before placing the bird in the cage, a small 

 bag of netting should be tied around its head, as 

 it then remains perfectly quiet, and further, the 

 legs may be fastened. Small birds, such as spar- 

 rows, should be carefully treated, as, otherwise, 

 they are very liable to succumb. Pigeons should 

 be treated in the same way, if necessary. 



2. Mosquitoes may be fed singly on pigeons 

 and other large birds by placing the end of the 

 test tube, in which the mosquito is confined, 

 against an area of skin denuded of feathers. 



Feeding Experiments on Birds 



I. Feed a number of Culex, e.g., C. fatigans, 

 on sparrows (in which have been detected proteo- 

 soma in the blood), by placing these for a time in 

 the mosquito cage. 



After feeding one or two days, place those 

 mosquitoes, which obviously have fed and are 

 gorged with blood, in a prepared chutney jar, and 

 keep until ready for dissection. 



Note (i) the zygotes of proteosoma which 

 generally occur in large numbers in the stomach 

 wall, and in which very coarse and dark pigment 

 is seen. 



(ii) Feed some Anophelines on proteosoma 

 sparrows, and note that no zygotes are formed. 



(iii) Feed some Taeniorhynchus on proteosoma 

 sparrows, and note the negative result. 



(iv) Feed some Culex upon pigeons con- 

 taining halteridium, and note negative result. 



Sparrows containing halteridium so frequently 

 (in India) contain proteosoma that, even if the 

 latter is not observed under the microscope, it is 

 difficult to be sure of their absence. 



