The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-06

William T.. ~Sedgwick, to link the theory and
practice Of mosquito control, and to make
the town of Belmont an object lesson for
other malarial districts.
PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIES.
To secure subjects for his camera, Mr..
Underwood established colonies of mosqui-
toes in his own laboratory, gathering from
nearby breeding places the larvae-more
colloquially the 'wrigglers"-of both the
malarial and the nonmalarial species. TIL
anopheles usually stay at the surface of the
water, where they have Matched out from
floating masses of eggs, and eat and breathe
in a horizontal position, seldom going to the
bottom unless on the alarm of an intruder.
The culex larvae, on the other hand, ordi-
narily stay near the bottom, coming to the
surface occasionally TO breathe and there
hanging head down at an angle of about 45
degrees while they take III air from a long
breathing tube which protrudes from the
end of the abdomen and is thrust through
the surface film of the pool. The breathing
tube OF the anopheles larvae is much short
er and it's body is held parallel and i'm
mediately below the surface.
Placed in bowls of water Mr.. Underwood's
w%rigglers changed in course to pupae and
then to adult winged mosquitoes. There is
a humorous touch in the fact that they
nave occupied a cage originally built to
contain a wild cat that was to be photo
graphed in it's various characteristic att-
tudes. The iron bars of this cage are now
covered with gauze. but their evident
strength suggests none the less the devel-
opment of some exceptionally ferocious
species. The cage is well adapted. however,
for observing the habits of the insect in
all its stages of life. A small aquarium at
one corner contains water plants and a lit
tie marsh slime, and offers the female mos
quito an opportunity to lay her eggs under
practically natural conditions-thus COM
pleting the cycle of mosquito life. Probably
the adult insects can live for some time on
the water and aquatic plants which are
supplied them, without other food, but to
make sure of full nutrition, slices of ba-
mana are given them every few days, a
diet which they apparently appreciate
highly.
Mr.. Underwood has been able to secure
numerous pictures of mosquitoes at all
stages of their lives and in numerous char
acteristic attitudes. For example, the new
ly-fedged mosquito is photographed by
u q hShA Isl Jb1N 90 ~ - w
it's body from the useless shell of the u
the larva is shown changing into the pupal
state, and adult anopheles and culex mos
quitoes are compared in many attitudes
and from many points of view. OF particu-
lar interest are photographs which show
how floating kerosene affects the larvae,
or w~rigglers, when they rise to the surface
Of the water and thrust their breathing
tubes into oil instead of air. The cOntor-
ions by which the immature insects at
tempt to get rid of the oil are quite aston
ishing, but never successful. At no time
during the winter has there been any lack
of subjects for these experiments, since, if
the colony became depleted, it was only
necessary to go to certain cellars and sta
bles where hundreds OF mosquitoes were hi
b~ernating, and collect as many as were
needed.
From Mr.. Underwood's laboratory to the