March, 1909.] 2 



once that the pools and swamps in this 

 island were stocked with swarms of a 

 tiny fish (known locally from their 

 vast numbers as 'millions,' and that 

 their favourite food was the larva} of 

 the mosquito. It is obvious that any 

 species of that insect which is unable to 

 breed above the ground level must fall 

 a prey to this enemy. The fish has 

 been identified by Mr. Boulenger, 

 P.R.S., of the British Museum, as 

 G irardinus poeciloides. Some specimens 

 were successfully got to England, and 

 flourished for some time in the insect 

 house at the Zoological Society's Gar- 

 dens. Mr. Gibbons' suggestion that the 

 'millions' should be imported into 

 malarial distrits in other islands has 

 been acted upon, and with felicitous 

 results. For instance, the Country 

 Health Board of Antigua, ' being con- 

 vinced of the useful part played by 

 these fish in consuming mosquito larva}, 

 have arranged for their systematic dis- 

 tribution throughout the ponds and 

 streams of the island.' Similar news 

 comes from Jamaica, whither a consign- 

 ment of the fish was sent in November, 

 1906. The Secretary of the Agricultural 

 Society writes that the tanks at the 

 Titchfield Hotel are full of them, and 

 that he had been informed that there 

 had been a marked diminution of fever 

 round about, the ' millions ' evidently 

 accounting for the mosquito larvae. 

 They have also been sent to Colon and 

 to British Guiana. One cannot help 

 wishing that these useful little fish 

 were given a trial in the deadly districts 

 of Africa. Like the malarial mosquito, 

 the insects which convey the terrible 

 diseases which are endemic there pass 



5 Pests. 



the larva} stage of their existence in 

 water. One may add in this connec- 

 tion that the Swedish Consul at Prank- 

 fort has discovered a small fish (' the 

 blue-eyed ') which feeds on mosquito 

 larva}, and that, at the request of the 

 Italian Government, some are to be, or 

 have been, sent to the Campagna, where 

 so much has been done in recent years 

 to diminish malaria." 



To this, the editor of the Jamaica 

 journal above mentioned adds :— 



In many of our streams and ponds 

 here, the same little fish called "mil- 

 lions" in Barbadoes and " ticky-tickies " 

 here are found, and many people have 

 used them in their tanks. The consign- 

 ment mentioned as having been got 

 from the Barbadoes was closely ex- 

 amined, and the "millions " found to be 

 identical with our "ticky-tickies." 

 Tanks are very favourite breeding 

 places for mosquitoes, and we are 

 afraid it is only a few who appreciate 

 the necessity of preventing the mosqui- 

 toes breeding — for their own comfort 

 and well-being. We are glad to draw 

 the attention of every reader to this 

 fact, that the little " ticky-tickies" live 

 on the larva} of mosquitoes, and that 

 in districts subject to these insects, and 

 where tanks and ponds are used, this 

 litte fish should be put in these. This 

 does not, however, do away with the 

 fact that mosquitoes breed wherever a 

 little stagnant water collects, and care 

 should be taken to prevent this, as far 

 as possible, by cleaning these places 

 with kerosene. — Queensland Agricul- 

 tural Journal, Vol. XXII., Part 1, 

 January, 1908, 



34 



