The sun., 1904-12-14
Christmas Presents.
Etchings, Engravings,
Water Color Drawings.
Oil Paintings.
Arthur Tooth & Sons,
299 Fifth Avenue,
Corner 3Ist Street.
WAR ON THE MOSQUITO.
Coming Convention OF the National vi,
squitO determination Society.

Coming COnve ventlon OF tho National Mo.
squitO determination Society.
The second annual convention Of the
National Mosquito determination Society
will be held in this city on Thursday and
Friday, Dec. Is and 10. The first session
Of the convention, which is to meet al
2:3o P. NJ, will be held at the New Yorh
Aquarium.
The Aquarium is deemed to be an appro-
PIRATE place for the meeting Of the con-
vention. because the mosquito during
one period Of its existence, in its larval
stage, is creature Of aquatic life. and
because here are to be seen fishes Of the
species that feed on the mosquito larvn
and that may be made useful in the work
OF mosquito determination. And then the
Aquarium authorities have already done
something to further this work by means
of exhibits, with informing labels.
There were shown here during the sum-
mer jars containing mosquitoes in the
various forms Of their development, from
the egg. through the larv@. or wriggler
stage into the complete winged mosquito. The
labels described briefly the mosquitoes life
history and told OF its breeding places and
how. in some measure at least, the pest
of mosquitoes might be avoided.
The Aquarium will have for this con-
vention one novel exhibit in a lot Of lively
wrigglers brought into life and activity
out Of ice. These are the laryB OF a species
OF mosquito, Aedes fuscus, which lays its
eggs in water in the hollow, pitcher like
receptacle that forms a part Of the pitcher
plant The pitcher of tie pitcher plant
Is Of about the capacity OF thimble.
IN Ia ite in r
In the little water filed vases of the pitcher
plant, and there they hatch out into wrig-
glers these In due time developing into
mosquitoes. But the larve Of this mos
quito that may be caught in the cups when
freezing weather comes on in the fall are
not killed by their Imprisonment in ice in
them through the winter. They live through
it, frozen up in the little Jumps of ice in
the plants, to develop finally into mos
quitoes when summer comes again.
Aquarium imbedded in the little chunks
Of ice, taken from the pitcher plants in
which the eggs were deposited in summer,
at p point in New Jersey. Here they W, re
melted out gradually, and they soon
active.
They are kept in cool place and partly
shaded. II the shade is removed they seek
the darker part of the jar in which they
are kept. Let the shade be replaced and
they will seek the darkest part.
OF ordinary mosquitoes the males die
in winter, a proportion of the females sur
viying through that season in sheltered,
sunny places and In the attics of houses
and in barns. and many get through the
winter in cellars. In Alaska, where mos
quitoes are 20 numerous. il Is evident that
but few adult mosquitoes could find such
places to winter as are found by the mos
quitoes of more thickly peopled lstitudes.
and 30 far as is known the great majority
OF the Alaskan mosquitoes must perish
in winter in the cold of that region. But
it may be that the Alaskan mosquito winters
in its larval stage, retaining life though
frozen up solid in ice as do the larrH of the
New Jersey mosquito that keep alive here,
frozen up in the ice contained in the little
cups Of the pitcher plant.
Ine second session of the convention, on
Dec. Is at SIP. NJ. will be a joint session with
the Brooklyn Institute Of Arts and Sciences,
to be held in the Art Rooms. ia Montague
street Brooklyn.
The third session, on Dec. 10, at 80 P. NJ.
will be held in conjunction with the Brook
lyn Institute, at JU2 Fulton street Brooklyn.
The fourth session, on Dec 10. at 8 p. NJ,
will be held in the hall of the American
Institute, Berkeley Lyceum, 10 and 2l West
Forty fourth street, Manhattan.
At the several sessions papers will be read
on the subject OF the mosquito, and the
question will be considered in its various
bearings. The objects Of the National
Mosquito determination Society are de-
clared TO be education, legislation, cooper
alton. interchange Of ideas The sessions
Of the convention are open to the public.