35 
part they never hatched out ; on one occasion some came out, 
but the larvae lived only a few days ; examined microscopically, 
they had the appearance of other mosquito larvae, so water of 
some kind is the medium in which they live. I have noted that 
in glass aquaria young larvae frequently die mysteriously, and 
have concluded that the cause was the water getting too cold 
during the night. Wooden vessels are preferable to glass. 
Culex alboannulatus. — Macquart (1850). 
Head brown, covered with golden and white scales, the 
white scales especially in the middle, and a patch of flat white ones 
on each side ; behind, on each side of the middle line, is a patch 
of dark brown or black upright forked scales, which also pass 
forwards ; eyes purplish-black, with silvery lustre ; antennae 
dark brown, with faint narrow pale bands, basal joint and base 
of second joint testaceous ; palpi black scaled with the fourth 
joint with a ring of white scales at the base and the small apical 
fifth joint also white scaled ; proboscis dark brown, with a few 
grey scales towards the base, apex quite black. Thorax deep 
umber brown, with white and golden scales in the majority of 
specimens, showing no ornamentation, but when fresh, the 
white scales are seen to be symmetrically arranged ; a central 
very narrow bare line runs back to near the scutellum, where it 
ends in a bare spade-shaped patch, which has two patches of 
narrow-curved white scales in front, and two of white scales at 
the base near the scutellum, a small oblique line of pale curved 
scales on each side in front and traces of two others farther 
back, and which, according to Skuse, in fresh specimens are 
hook-shaped, as shown in his figure ; there is also another patch 
above the root of the wings on each side ; scutellum testaceous 
brown, with three patches of pale, thin, curved scales ; metanotum 
deep brown, testaceous at the sides ; pleurae dark reddish-brown, 
with patches of white scales. Abdomen covered with deep brown 
almost black scales, with sometimes pale brown reflections, the 
bases of the segments each with a patch of white scales, not quite 
forming a band ; sometimes, according to Skuse, the white scales 
are entirely absent ; posterior borders and sides with yellowish 
hairs ; in some specimens there are indistinct white lateral spots, 
the lateral white spots being centrally disposed ; venter brown, 
with thick white basal bands. Legs with the femora 
pale at the base, dark scaled towards the apex ; just 
before the apex, which is very dark, is a pale or white 
band, extreme tip yellow to almost white ; tibiae covered 
with purplish-black scales with pale hairs ; fore metatarsi 
with basal pale bands, also the first two tarsal joints, last two 
with purplish-black scales only ; mid legs the same ; hind legs 
with their metatarsi and first three tarsal joints very broadly 
banded with white at the base ; hind metatarsi a little shorter 
than the tibiae. Fore., mid and hind ungues equal, toothed. 
