security, is available as a protection during sleeping hours. Either the individual must cover himself with a foul-smelling oil which although repugnant to the none too refined tastes of the mosquito is much more repugnant to the unfortunate person trying to get a night's repose; or he must sleep under a mosquito net, which will, by the closeness of its meshes, keep out the cool, gentle night breezes, so refreshing on a hot tropical night, and much of the current of air caused by an electric fan. Unless the utmost care is exercised that the net is properly used and kept in repair, he will awake in the morning after a hot restless night to find sitting in one corner of the net two or three of these pests, gorged with his own blood, too sleepy to fly away from the consequences of the savage wrath they engender in the breast of their victims. Far better it would be to sleep without a net in a bungalow not hampered by mosquito proofing and awake, refreshed from a sleep in the open air in the cool breezes, untroubled by the attacks of these winged pests.

Generally speaking we divide the mosquitoes into two great bands. We have those which inhabit the vicinity of houses, stables, cattle sheds, and so on. They live and breed in and around them and their life is lived in a very circumscribed area. These we may call 'House

hold' mosquitoes. Then we have those which live in the surrounding marshes, rivers, and streams and fly to houses for protection from the heat of the day and for the purpose of sucking the blood of mammalia-these we may call 'Country' mosquitoes. Although it is not arbitrary, these two classes may roughly be said to include in the former, the Culicini, and a few Anophelini and in the latter, most of the Anophelini and some Culicini.

Again, it is not all mosquitoes which will bite human beings-only the females. The female will feed upon mammalia after she has become fecundated, as it is generally understood that blood is necessary to her for the true development of her ova. It is generally accepted that males never suck blood. The adult male remains, more or less, in the vicinity of the breeding place and meets his mate after she has hatched from the pupal stage or has arrived and laid her eggs. Mosquitoes as a rule have many sources of food supply. Fruit and vegetables of various kinds, especially if they be over-ripe, and mammalian blood are their usual diet. The female will not select a spot for laying her eggs where there will be no food for her offspring. Thus dirty water, gully-traps and cesspools are popular breeding

places of the Culicini; while clean water, marsh or ponds with vegetation, are frequented by the

Anophelini. Of course, when driven to it, they may deposit their eggs, and larvæ may hatch out, in water where no suitable food appears to be, but for preference the other more suitable sites are selected.

During the heat of the day mosquitoes will seek out sheltered spots to escape from the sun, which they do not like. Thus they are found reposing in the shade amongst long grass or under the leaves of trees, and it is this phenomenon which has given rise to the erroneous impression that long grass and undergrowth necessarily breed mosquitoes and drastic operations have been undertaken to rid occupied areas of them, often rendering pleasant and beautiful districts desolate. Mosquitoes breed in receptacles concealed in grass and undergrowth, and in the hollows of trees where water can accumulate after rain. If these are properly dealt with, as will be mentioned later, it will be unnecessary to spoil beautiful gardens, and remove the benefits of shade by the destruction of trees. During the day mosquitoes may also be discovered hiding in houses from the heat and sun, especially in dark corners, cupboards, presses and among clothes hanging up. They are not generally found in the vicinity of cooking ranges, but Anophelini have often been found reposing on cobwebs looking like tiny little bits of dirt hanging downwards.

A favourite breeding spot for the A. stephensi. The illustration shows the sea front being filled up with mud from a dredger two miles away.