36 
A Monograph of Culicidae. 
not until the larva has grown considerably are there any traces 
of air-tubes; by degrees they appear, however, and are at first 
filled with serum and later with air, which is derived, it is said, 
from the blood ; at no period of larval life is there any direct 
communication with the external air. The four air-sacs simply 
serve as floats. 
The species of Corethra in which the above characters have 
been noticed are C. plumicornis and C. pallida. 
The above characters are sufficient to aid in identifying the 
genera of the larvae, but not enough is yet known of many of 
them to be of much specific importance. Grassi has given the 
details of A. maculipennis , bifurcatus, pseudopietus and superpictus. 
Colonel Giles of A. Bossii.* 
BREEDING-GROUNDS OF THE LARVAE OF 
CULICIDAE. 
All the larvae of Culicidae , as far as is known, are aquatic in 
habits and may be found in a great variety of positions. Each 
genus, however, has more or less a partiality for particular kinds 
of habitation, which, 'when we come to deal with the Anopheles , 
is of no little importance to note. With few exceptions Culicid 
larvae are fresh-water, but some few are found in salt 
water. Dr. Bancroft found the larvae of C. marinus, mihi, 
C. annulirostris , Skuse, Mucidus alternans, Westwood, &c., in salt 
water in Australia. Ficalbi has found the larvae of his 
C. salinus f living in the salt water of marshes, but says they can 
also exist in fresh water. Certain genera, such as Anopheles , 
prefer clear water, although I have found these larvae in foul 
water ; others— Culex —may be found in putrid water, and I 
have one note stating that the larvae of Culex pipiens have 
been found in liquid manure. In the “ Riviera Nature Notes ” 
Mr. Hanbury describes how the hotel cesspools are the favourite 
breeding-ground of mosquitoes. None seem partial to running 
streams, although I have seen the larvae of Anopheles maculi¬ 
pennis in the Cam; and other records are given by Dr. Nuttall, 
referred to on page 37. 
Anopheles larvae. — Anopheles larvae generally live in 
small, natural pools and puddles either stagnant or with a 
* “Hand Book Mosquitoes,” 2nd ed. 1001. 
f Tliis is only a variety of C. nemoroms. 
