184 
£ Aestivation ? of Mosquitoes 
In very hot and dry countries, the Anophelines 
which remain through the dry season appear to exhibit 
some peculiarities in their habits :—- 
1. Unlike hibernating mosquitoes, they feed 
regularly and are found full of blood. 
2. The ovaries are in the majority large and the 
ova fully developed. 
3. They do not lay their eggs even when 6 test 
pools 5 are made near the houses in which they abound. 
The Significance of Breeding-Places in the Dry 
Season .—It is usual in hot and dry climates to find 
in the dry season at most a few breeding-places. It is 
a mistake to conclude that these represent the distri¬ 
bution of Anophelines in the area in question. Under 
such conditions careful search will demonstrate that 
Anophelines are present in small numbers in nearly 
every hut. 
The Male Anopheline 
Little is known as to the habits of the male 
Anophelines. When they are found in numbers it is 
probably a sign that breeding is going on at the time. 
At times the number of males caught in native huts 
exceeds that of the females. Copulation is said only to 
occur after the first meal of blood. Annett and 
Dutton describe many hundreds of male Anophelines 
dancing together in midge-like fashion in the villages 
at dusk. 
Fecundation 
Fecundation, it is thought, takes place generally 
on the wing. It is also effected in captivity when the 
Anophelinae are confined in test tubes. 
