CULICID^:. 
573 
breed, so as to choke the tracheae of the larvae and so suffocate them. 
Indian conditions often render this a difficult or impossible method to 
carry out, and the stocking of all suitable waters with such fish as will 
eat the larvae (of these there are several in India) has been recommended 
as likely to be beneficial. In jungle districts nothing can be done without 
clearing and draining. The value of quinine is well known, and the 
screening of infected persons from mosquitos is obviously indicated as a 
preventive measure against spreading malaria. The mosquitos found 
in houses are mainly nocturnal in their habits, and may often be seen in 
the early morning trooping into the house in search of dark corners 
where they can shelter themselves from the light until evening. Lefroy’s 
mosquito-trap takes advantage of this habit by providing a 
convenient dark box for the mosquitos to rest in : when they have settled 
down for the day the box is closed and a few drops of benzene or 
chloroform introduced through a cork-hole in the top. The dead insects 
are afterwards removed and the box left open till next day. 
Much has been written on the subject of mosquitos and disease 
The student is referred to Manson’s “ Tropical Diseases,” Blanchard’s 
“ Les Moustiques,” Stephens and Christophers ’ “ Practical Study of 
Malaria,” Daniel’s “ Laboratory Studies,” and Giles’ “ Mosquitoes” 
(2nd Ed.). For the distinction of species James and Liston’s 
“ Anopheles of India ” and Theobald’s “ Monograph of the Culicidse” 
and Genera Insectorum “ Culicidae.” The Journal of the Bombay 
Nat. Hist. Society and the “ Journal of Hygiene” (articles by Liston 
and others, and by Nuttall and Shipley, Rogers, Imms and others) 
should be consulted, as well as the large medical literature. The direct 
identification of the species will sometimes be found easier than the ordi¬ 
nary method of determining the genus first and the species afterwards, 
since thg genera of Culicidce are frequently established on minute scale 
characters which are sometimes more difficult to see than the characters 
which separate the species. 
The two main Indian sub-families Anophelince and Culicince, the 
latter including Culex and Stegomyia as chief genera (Stegomyias are 
generally recognizable by their being coloured black with silver lines 
and spots and by the characteristic feel of their bite), have the meta- 
no turn without hairs or scales. The male palpi are long in both groups, 
the female palpi long in Anophelince, short in Culicince . 
