3 



successful introduction and establishment of the top-minnows 

 in Hawaii no effective enemies of mosquitoes occurred. 1 The 

 dragon-flies or mosquito- hawks and the gold-fish were their 

 only important enemies but neither are special mosquito 

 feeders, although the winged dragon-fly devours many adult 

 mosquitoes in the air and the gold-fish feeds on the larvae to 

 a certain extent in the water, especially when confined in a 

 fountain, lily-pond, or aquarium. 



The question of introducing the top-minnows into Hawaii 

 was first considered in the early part of IQ03, these fish having 

 been reported as effective enemies of mosquito wrigglers else- 

 where. 2 Dr. David Starr Jordan, to whom the problem was 

 referred, replied that these fish had never been transported 

 such a distance but, while the whole undertaking would be an 

 experiment, the fish were extremely hardy and the greatest 

 consideration would be the cost of the work. Because of the 

 cost this phase of mosquito control did not receive further 

 notice at that time. 



Fig. 2. — Top-Minnow, Fundulus graiidis. Enlarged. (U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission.) 



During 1904 a Citizens' Mosquito Campaign Committee was 

 organized in Honolulu and this body was instrumental in pro- 

 viding the means for the introduction of the fish. The writer 



1 The species introduced were Mollicnesia latipinna Fundulus grandis, 

 and Gambusia affinis of the family Focciliidae collected and transported 

 to the Islands from Seabrook near Galveston, Texas, by Mr. Alvin Seale. 

 See figures number 1, 2. and 3. 



2 L. O. Howard. Mosquitoes. New York, 1901. 



