THE ELEPHANT MOSQUITO. 
161 
fascicles of long bristles, increasing in length from in front to 
the fifth abdominal segment, and from thence decreasing again. 
There are four long bristles from the extremity of the body. 
The lateral bristles are weakly and loosely plumose ; those from 
the posterior extremity are simple (fig. 6). There are no caudal 
fins. The head and terminal segments are more densely chitinous 
than the other parts. The paired air sacs can be plainly distin¬ 
guished lying in the thoracic region and communicating with the 
respiratory tube by two long tortuous tracheae. 
Instead of the brush-like organs (or whorl organs) noticeable 
in Anopheles and many other larval Culicidae, there are two series 
of five or six stout falcate chitinous lamellae (see fig. 7) arti¬ 
culated to the antero-lateral margin of the clypeus. When at rest 
they are kept folded together and turned back on each side of the 
head, where they look like a pair of buffalo horns (see fig. 8). 
Each separate lamella is minutely toothed at its extremity. The 
structure of these organs immediately suggested a carnivorous 
habit—a theory fully borne out by subsequent observation. The 
antennae are rather short and stout, with three or four short 
bristles at the extremity and two longish hairs on the sides. The 
mandibles are the most conspicuous parts of the mouth. They are 
armed with stout black teeth, the exterior two long and spiniform. 
The maxillary palps are stout oblong pieces, each with two small 
teeth at its extremity, the maxillae themselves being broader, the 
outer edge set with short bristles and a group of small but stout 
teeth at the inner angle. Between the mandibles are some stout 
hairs, apparently attached to the under surface of the clypeus. The 
neck is mobile and extensible, but the head is never rotated like 
that of larval Anopheles . The pliancy is probably necessitated by 
the struggles of the victim when first captured. 
Confirmation of the supposed carnivorous habit was soon forth¬ 
coming: firstly, by the rapid disappearance of most of the young 
larvae while the remainder waxed fat ; and secondly,' by the de¬ 
tection of one larva in the act of devouring a comrade of the 
same size as itself. It had seized it by the posterior extremity. 
I then placed one of the Toxorhynchites larvae in a watch 
glass with some water, and introduced the smaller larva of a 
Gulex . As soon as the latter approached it was instantly seized. 
The attack was so rapid that, though I was following the move¬ 
ments of the insects through a lens at the time, I was unable to 
see the exact mode of procedure. Within two minutes’ time 
nothing but the head of the victim remained. Subsequent 
observation showed that the falcate lamellae were the organs of 
prehension. The larvae are very sluggish, remaining—unless 
