Reports to various Correspondents . 7 
be advisable to have the water treated several times at a week’s interval, 
as I find Culex are breeding very rapidly this month. 
Three other species have occurred in the collection from this locality, 
namely— (1) Culex diver sus, Theobald ; (2) Culex cantans , Meigen ; 
(3) Grabhamia dorsalis, Meigen. 
A sing’le specimen of each of these species only occurred. All thiee aie 
vicious biters. We know that Culex cantans breeds in small pools, and 
X expect the other two do also. The chief pests aie, hoA\c\ei, evidently 
Culex pipiens and Culex nemorosus , especially the latter. 
Mr. F. Lowe has since been employed by Lady Henry Somerset 
to superintend the destruction of these pests, and the reports of his 
visits to Woodford are here appended. 
“Acting on instructions given by Mr. F. V. Theobald after his 
inspection of the estate, three visits were made at intervals of three weeks 
from June 25th of this year to carry out in detail the plan of campaign 
against these flies, as arranged by Mr. Theobald. 
“ On the first visit — a very hot day — attention was given to the 
artificial collections of water in the gardens and stable-yard, tanks, rain- 
water butts, gullies, greenhouse tanks, ditch, etc. 
“ Each was examined with the utmost care for the eggs, larvae and 
pupae of mosquitoes by dipping with a wide-mouthed glass beaker, 
skimming and straining. In one only — a rain-water butt containing* 
about six inches of putrid water and quite a foot of sludge— did I find 
any of the pests— the larvae of the common Culex pipiens , in all stages 
of growth, and in such numbers as to blacken the surface of the water. 
After taking samples of these larvae, the butt was emptied on the path, 
and when the water dried up the residue was shovelled into the rubbish 
pit. Of the larvae taken away, one only survived the journey home, the 
remainder being killed, I believe, by the disturbance of the water caused 
by the jolting of the train. 
“ The large uncovered tank in the stable-yard : An exhaustive 
inspection of* this resulted in no Culicids, but numerous ‘ Blood Worms,’ 
the larvae of Chironomus. The water was run off and sludge removed, 
tank scrubbed and flushed out, overhanging ivy cut away and a match- 
boarding tarred-lid fitted to keep out the flies. The tank is to remain 
empty for the present, as any water required can be obtained from the 
standpipe. 
“ Gullies were cleaned out and treated with a liberal supply of paraffin. 
“ Greenhouse tanks : no aquatic larval or pupal stages of the pest. 
Cleaned out and the water covered with a film of paraffin. No harm will 
arise from this when dipping for water, if the bucket or watering-can is 
plunged well below the surface. 
“No Culicid larva) could be found in the ditch which drains off 
overflow from tub in orchard, etc. Well paraffined. Recommendation — 
should be drained away with pipes. 
“ In beating the hedge at the side of the ditch in the orchard, I set 
up, and netted, a large female Culex nemorosus — which I thought at the 
time was a specimen of the rare Ctdex diver sus, Theobald — so I continued 
