PECULIAR HABITATS 149 
In the moist tropics the water-filled ends of broken bamboos furnish breeding- 
places to a number of species. In America among the bamboo inhabitants the 
sabethids again rank first in number of species belonging to several genera; 
of culicines there are representatives of Culex, Carrollia, Stegoconops and 
Megarhinus. Here again we have, among these species restricted to a peculiar 
habitat, predaceous forms (Sabethinus, Megarhinus) which prey upon the 
others. A few species of Sabethini breed in the water of cocoanut and cacao- 
husks and their larve are rarely found elsewhere. The larvee of Limatus and 
of Joblotia digitatus are constantly found in these husks and they thrive there 
no matter how foul the liquid, as a result of the decomposing vegetable matter, 
may become. 
A peculiar habitat is furnished by certain reeds growing in swamps. The 
leaves begin to spread below the surface of the water and thus form a chamber 
isolated from the surrounding water. The larve of several species of Wyeomyia 
have been found in this situation and Lutz has found there the larva of 
Menolepis. 
In the tide-water regions of the American tropics certain crabs live in holes 
in the soil which go below the water level. In the water in these holes, some- 
times at a considerable depth below ground, certain species of mosquitoes breed. 
Most remarkable of these are the specialized forms of Deinocerites and related 
genera. Besides these there are a number of species of Culex peculiar to the 
crab-holes and even structurally these show more or less adaptation to their 
habitat. 
The most peculiar and specialized larvee of mosquitoes yet discovered are the 
species of Mansonia (Teniorhynchus, auct.). The habits of these larve have 
recently been worked out with our common Mansonia perturbans and the same 
habits are indicated for Mansonia fasciolatus and M. arribalzage. The eggs are 
laid in swamps where there is a dense growth of grass and sedges. The newly 
hatched larvee make their way down through the water to the roots of these 
plants and there they attach themselves by inserting the apex of the peculiarly 
constructed breathing-tube. Here they remain anchored until full grown, ob- 
taining air through the vascular tissues of the plant-roots. The pupa, it appears, 
remains in the same situation, deriving air from the roots by means of its 
peculiarly modified thoracic “breathing trumpets.” The habits of Mansonia 
tstillans are similar according to the observations of H. W. B. Moore, except that 
the host plant is Pistia, an aquatic plant belonging to the Aracex, which grows 
in floating tufts, the roots loosely entangled in the mud. 
The subject of the character of water frequented by the larve of different 
species has already been touched upon in the discussion of their habitats. By 
far the largest number of species frequent fresh water. Certain species, how- 
ever, occur in saline water and some in water charged with alkali. Some species 
thrive in sea-water of full strength and even in water, as a result of evaporation, 
of much greater salinity. The larve of these same species will do equally well 
in brackish or even in entirely fresh water. This is important in the economy 
of the species as opportunities for larval development may be produced at one 
