RE ERT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT New Jersey Agricultural College Experiment Station, New Brunswick, N. J., JOHN B. SMITH, Sc.D., For the Year 1906. TRENTON, N. J.: The John L, Murphy Publishing Company, Printers. fi ‘ Samet aaa a a mn ty} e x at ¥" TABLE OF CONTENTS. TABLE OF CONTENTS. eI wns scant PAGES. IREPORT) OPM THEE NTOMONOGIS Me Raciertin cir aie areas ocicksi sil 20> 515-670 Generals Reval eye hice eae oe staheca ears recanetel esp alisca aires 517-532 Neale secs sim mises ep aee erate her oeeed eRe tebeter's tare layer 517-519 SEDI SEIS Call Gitomer mine ete ie sree wide ter tte vaeten ace deat oy D1T Oyster-shrell 2B aik-lOUSe) vce he, cee cheip so ieclcke te 518 S CUI VAGS Gall Geese aistadars octihe ated aaa eens ploy ana rarses 518 EVO S Gin CANON panty erm rane cal analc wal Palth vs rab wanda teat ltcerd pel au env 518 Cotton yMiapleiS calle nao elsntscl au eyecacueshel a taaienels [o> 518 MIF) CoE SCUOGOGEUG He vere cislatetale mann lonal eletsenareyenevele 519 MSU E OES Obs Salem snsep cree at ie cors wa cnelgeer eu ovaieie tats ve lc 519 SNCS Ofiis S Gall ethnracra isos ie sheet iets era anes Sea avciay sree 519 OMe ancl S SCE en, | cicue: exalts he: sadlle eves ie wxerevsvene’s where e eis lens 520-523 JE) ouaaty CioiKOM Wain Loses ord Gat Creche MioEcRcre eS Closes chore 520 FAC LCMMOMIMCUITO a aweletetevcrsticrstarenatoie staneteqcker ce saama eras aus 520 POAT ES ISHST pM TOY reirs eucberat etavetal entetel do tedeule late hensicuansenists 520 J GAMER ING DU eA Ie Rl aor ial cle Mie rten ee cata t a tay is Mera ue 521. LOAM S Vl time aeien ca beter sira au cua Seal ay Soak aa emenatel steels SPL InSectsvonmHieldy rope) seine ieiene Guetevevesieys efelaieverinrs. shale 523-525 PACE yPAVVIO TIME Fh ties ov a eticotealistniake weneiat he selle te a nckeifoneusiloneyers 3 Cornestalk AB oneren eee se cacige olsen oasis Sila shaveie ene Calo aera avy Oumasy sent seer ensien aicee ore voces merc iorer hens GMASSHOPMETS tate skee epe lee Oe ea eeaiareetrereee ona ASDATACUS RCCTIE RI te svonsic tens. oleneec ers arava) tie bece ore elerers 524 RVOOt Maer OES ara nae csubeuavoleiiue at Sot erenen atime eas o24 Te ARES COLTS S ies arate treet etobturture taran on cect leajesre a sel Ut Ai/aine' ns 524 AVENE REVO TEINS eee scar otal Re cor ese kero ck Groton sonia ie pettone 524 Valine’ Gory Stories asec te cremate ae qietnen acetal ataver a stieiene 525 GUT EAA CO TSTINS arated Soran. Siictrouct ais te res eel caslis Hacc een vest hone aesiek ss 525 Shrademiirees linsecismaa- tenure cessusremccienonsisrcei ac elenen eis are 525-527 CatalpapelanviksMlotihy 3 deers seidsin ic cise Boras sero aroke 525 Nellow-necked) Caterpillams) 5 seen. 6 ere wien cele stee) 527 Graney Gall Sores sew et oe ea pe nau ean ai cifane, Sef ora bie ait d 528 EVOSe MG aerate, set ee aac ae Tate ee dees erct anise Meu ay aa athe 528 Tanne COM nate ete aru sti eencycncince novene auch che ce nstta,foialianeh-enandiais 529 SEMEN Callas LM SE CES as fe cueene coerce enah sua eden cenl stnl errepwenoyeceie re 529, 530 CHOCO ws Simill Sp rey wer cliyore eral cas eho eustiarenesoysbeusts 529 emitter Sell ater pepe ees eras rvisetorarcnessiaie re rence isesulewolis ei 529 Gr Te Sem MUTT S weep eee vay renee aces e Gis oeHedsLORt Sais oie 530 DVIS COUNT OLLS ebeta rect sai neies acacia dace is faucaiheeadal of cconwverreliesiehesiione 530 Recordiomiueshxperiment Orchard. ¢..- ese... ees 3 ect Sans 532-538 Kntomolozymnather@rop Bulletin’ . 2)... os. e. ss 2 sce. 539, 540 A WovenpAieaay NY ORT Gis ee EMER RG eae nee CER COIs aptae nen 540-545 MEL Gry, DSVMOVUO re sears see foie ee arish dit olictttses a) Aett laioney cay erst ae 546-548 Root Male a tismeremrmetteca: ec svete crea eters stenaie Vane eers(2) au) sy oueh es 548-558 Moaiterialsttompemikestieds:..ctacuaces cc urceiais & sccesisiats iota ar eveare 551 RAGVErioOn TE AMeMHMentswe ie. slieus chasis a iaistohe Misiersie eG we sees 553. (iii) a) IV TABLE OF CONTENTS. Report oF THE ENTOMOLOGIST—Continued. PAGES. Husted eH xpeninenise..... ceo... .... Mies > 555 Matawan gxperiments’ .../.0e.ck.......-- sien - ee 5a Other sEispenimentss......:ieeacdteate sss. ae BPN. 6 558 Mhewierrodicale nents |... .. eee Meech whic ceases ce 559-561 Hatter imocmlnsecice. ve. icy... ¢ « Semen visite thc eias 4 cs Meissen « 561-569 INGUIN, ARR Rae a y i = a * » . f 7 7" EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 601 lessly handled. Personal experience has in many cases impressed this upon men who are still using it. Wherever the oil hits it kills, and if treated trees have not been cleaned it simply means that they have not been thoroughly sprayed. The undiluted oil also shows wherever it has come into contact with the bark, and where I have found live scale on apple trees sprayed with this material I could see just where the oil had not been applhed.. This is apt to happen where the grower is afraid of getting too much oil on his trees and does not spray thoroughly enough. Some growers have warmed the material be- fore use and claim that it is more penetrating and spreads and covers better than when cold. Thus far I have quoted largely from Mr. Dickerson’s report, and the “I” in the last paragraph is his. Personally I have seen apple trees of large and medium size, so badly infested with scale that they were beginning to die at tips, cut back and sprayed with undiluted oil, afterward recover and make good useful trees. One “case especially, in Burlington county, was brought to my attention. When I saw the orchard in the spring of 1905 I would not have given a dollar for its chance of life. The trees were all. topped, some of them cut back to stubs, and all were bright chocolate-brown and greasy. Some were starting out, but I would not have been surprised to learn later that the orchard had been cut out. The owner insisted, however, that the trees would come out all right, and he was correct. The photograph here given illustrates the condition of the trees’in the summer of 1906, and there was a crop of clean fruit on them. The rest of the farm was cleaned up by a fall application of Sealecide, followed by lime, salt and sulphur in spring. It is further suggestive that this same man is constantly putting out more trees, with full recognition of the fact that he will have to fight scale on them almost from the start. Kerosene Limoid. K.-L. has not been very extensively used in New Jersey, so far as our observations extend, and enly two cases have been actually verified. In Salem county a nurseryman combines the treatment of trees with the business of growing them, and charges ten cents per gallon of applied mixture. Four thousand five hundred gal- 602 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE lons of K.-L. were used and in every instance the application was liberal, since there was no inducement to economy, and the dealer rightly claimed that unless he was allowed to do the work well he could not guarantee a good result. The formula was five gallons of kerosene, twenty pounds of limoid and twenty-five gallons of water, making an actual proportion of one-sixth, or about 16 per cent. kerosene. The oil and limoid were thoroughly mixed together with a hoe, and then, by a like process, the water was mixed as added, and what appeared to be a good combination was obtained. Whenever the infestation was bad a second application was made. So far as the examinations extended the results were good, even where only a single application was made. In only a few cases they were unsatisfactory on old, bearing apples, but in one instance this may have been due to rain coming immediately after the spraying was done. The effect on the trees was not so uniformly good. Apple and pear were safely sprayed in all instances; plums were sometimes injured and young peaches were in some instances killed. The results prove that the K.-L. will kill seales where used liberally, and will also kill some trees where enough oil gets on them. It is fair to say, however, that the method of mixing was unsatisfactory and not ealeulated to secure the best results as against the scale or the greatest measure of safety to the trees. To make an even mixture and get a real emulsion, stirring with a hoe is not enough. There should be a thorough churning by pumping the material back into the tank until it has all passed through the pump at least once and has been forced through the nozzle back into the mixture again with pressure enough to stir it up violently. The injury caused was probably due to free oil con- tained in the spray as applied. In Passaic county an orchard of about one hundred and thirty large apple trees was treated for two years in succession with the combination containing about 20 per cent. of kerosene. At the date of inspection, March 22d, 1906, the trees seemed to be in very fair condition, and very little living scale was observed. Later examinations were not made, owing to press of other work. j EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 603 Carbolic Acid. This material is not new as a scale-killer, but was tried and abandoned for various reasons soon after experiments began in New Jersey. Nevertheless, reference to it cropped up again in the “Rural New Yorker” and the “American Agriculturist,’ two of the agricultural papers most widely circulated in New Jersey. The note in the “Rural New Yorker” was as follows: “An Annandale writer in the High Bridge ‘Gazette’ says: Several of the peach growers in this section are applying crude carbolic acid to their trees to kill the San José scale. John Shurts, of this township, tried this remedy for the scale last year, and says it is a complete success. The acid is applied with a brush to the trunk of the tree to about three feet from the base, when the sap is running up. It is claimed that the acid gets into the sap and is conveyed to all parts of the tree, killing every scale on it. The growers claim that the fruit is not affected by the acid, while the trees are much invigorated. Jeremiah Hall, of Stanton, was the first to discover the value of the acid as a sealecide. The advantage of this treatment over the old is that it will kill the scale after a tree has become affected with it, while nearly all of the old reme- dies were merely preventives.” The note in the “American Agriculturist” was longer, but cov- ered the same subject: “A Hunterdon county man, J. H. Hall, has come out with a new-remedy for the San José seale. It is crude ecarbolic acid simply brushed on the trunk of the tree. He and two other fruit growers personally known to the writer have tried it for two sea- sons, and give strong testimony to its beneficial effects. According to their experience, it means the entire riddance of the tree of this insect pest, but how it does it is not explained. Whether it is the persistent fumes of the stuff constantly arising through the tree- top, or whether it works some slight change in the sap of the tree which makes it unwholesome to the scale, can as yet be only sur- mised. “The latter version is usually considered among the impossibili- ties, but reports of some recent experiments on the current number of the ‘Scientific American’ do prove that chemicals may enter the sap of a tree and have effect on its health. This, taken in connec- 604 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. tion with the fact that insect life is sensitively affected by the food on what it lives, may lead into a new field of investigation. “The originator of this earbolic treatment says that it is neces- sary to merely paint a bang of the chemical around the trunk. This sounds much like quackery, but the disinterested testimony of those who have tried it and the cheapness and ease of applica- tion of the remedy makes it worthy of a trial. ‘Farmers in these parts have mostly given up their apple orch- ards, but there are still quite a number of peach orchards kept in condition by the lime, sulphur and salt treatment. The only peach orchard I have seen, however, that looks like the old-time vigor and health is the orchard of Mr. William Hoffman, near Lebanon, N. J. He has used nothing but lime and sulphur mixed without boiling.” Mr. Dickerson was detailed to look into the matter and he found Mr. Jeremiah Hall, who very kindly drove him to all the places where the carbolic acid had been used, and showed also his own trees where the original experiments were made. The publications above quoted were made early in June, before seale-breeding had started; the examination by Mr. Dickerson was made August Ist, when the second brood was on the move, and when infestation was much better marked where it existed. Of the trees examined, including the usual orchard fruits, some had received belts a foot wide, and from that varying to the whole trunk and the bases of the branches. Crude carbohe acid, “best quality obtainable,” was used, and wherever it covered the insects it has killed them, without apparent harm to the. trees in any case. There was no ease, however, where any interference with normal breeding was observed outside of the directly treated space, and on most of the trees an abundance of crawling larve and living sets was seen. Mr. Hall’s own trees were but slightly infested, but there was no evidence that they had ever been worse, and seem to constitute one of those curious exceptions to the general suscepti- bility that are sometimes discovered. A marked instance of that was noted in Montclair, where a series of infested plum trees be- came almost entirely free during the past winter, though no treat-: ment whatever was made. In late fall, while making nursery inspections, Mr. Dickerson ran across an apple orchard of some size in another section of Hun- EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 605 terdon county which had been treated to a carbolic acid banding earlier in the season with absolutely no good result. The only direct experiment was made by Mr. Dickerson on a small bearing peach, very scaly, the trunk of which was painted with the crude carbolic acid August 23d. On September 29th there was no perceptible injury to the bark directly, or to the general health of the tree, while there were plenty of living scales with fresh sets and crawling larvee all over it. The same tree was made the subject of another experiment on the later date. It is a very attractive idea to treat the scale in so easy and inex- pensive a manner, and some farmers have suffered so much loss that they are ready to grasp at almost anything that promises relief, especially if it is easy to apply and involves no labor in preparation. Dr. B. D. Halsted, the botanist to the Station, informs me that the outer bark takes no part in feeding a tree, and that there is no circulation through it. The sap is carried through the layer be- tween bark and wood and only the lquids prepared by the root- system are carried through it. It would be impossible for carbolie acid to enter unaltered into the general circulation, and even if all that could soak through the outer bark was earried into the sap as rapidly as it worked through it would be so diluted when it reached the leaves and twigs as to be imperceptible. Carbolie acid is a good insecticide for some purposes and will kill the pernicious scale when applied to it, but there is no evidence at present that it will kill in any other way. Whale ©il Soap. This well-tried material has been used as a winter wash in a very few cases, although frequently recommended and sometimes used as a summer application. One large peach orchard had been treated with soap for two successive winters, but in 1905-06 a change was made to the lime, salt and sulphur wash. When examined by Mr. Dickerson the trees were in excellent condition and the orchard was very free from seale. In another locality some large, bearing plums had become so sealy that it was a question whether to take them out or let them 606 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE stand. The latter was finally decided upon and they were thor- oughly sprayed with whale oil soap. When examined in midsum- mer the trees were growing well, appeared to be in thrifty condi- tion and very little live scale was apparent. The excessive cost of the applied mixture is one of the chief objections to it, and the results have not always been so uniformly good as the above record indicates. Caustic Soda. My. Dickerson’s notes are as follows: “‘Caustie soda, which was used by a number of growers a year or two ago, is not being used by any one at present so far as 1 know. One vear’s experience was enough to show the ineffectiveness of the material and the general comment of those who used it is—Just one year behind in my orchard.’ ” TREE TANGLEFOOT. This is a preparation made by the O. & W. Thum Company, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, who are also the makers of the sticky fly paper sold under the same “Tanglefoot” term. It is of the con- sistency of soft putty, spreads readily with a trowel or wooden spatula and remains sticky for a long period when exposed to the outer air. The material is recommended for banding trees where it is de- sired to prevent insects from traveling up or down the trunks, and a considerable quantity has been used in Massachusetts for banding trees in gypsy moth work. I had the opportunity of seeing the treated trees during the season of 1905, and it seemed to me that some of the younger, smooth-barked trees had been injured, and I so informed the manu- facturers in the course of correspondence. Meanwhile the material had been used in California on a great variety of fruit trees, and seemed to have been of indirect benefit in checking one of the per- nicious scale insects. It appears that one of the parasites of, the scale insect is particu- larly liable to destruction by ants, and as ants occurred abundantly in all orchards and were constantly-on the trees in great numbers, EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 607 these scale destroyers were themselves destroyed by the ants to such an extent as to render them ineffective as aids to the fruit growers. “Tanglefoot” applied in a continuous band around the trunk formed a barrier which could not be passed by the ants, the seale destroyers were free to develop undisturbed, and this resulted in a marked decrease of pernicious scales with a promise of their total elimination. Reports from growers and inspectors were uniformly to the effect that “Tanglefoot”? caused no injury to the banded trees, and correspondence with the Massachusetts users failed to show any ease of obvicus injury caused by the material. To put the matter to a direct test in New Jersey, the manufac- turers sent me, early in the season, four buckets of **Tanglefoot,” which were sent to Horace Roberts, Moorestown, Burlington eounty; John S. Collins, Moorestown, Serhaceon county; Henry Pfeiffer, Cologne, Atlantic county, aud Joseph H. Black, Son & sun ana Hightstown, Mercer county. To each of these parties a letter was sent explaining the pur- port of the experiment, and they were asked to make the necessary observations. Mr. Horace Roberts used the material on apple trees of good size and in bearing condition. When seen by Mr. Dickerson dur- ing the summer there was no sign of injury to the trees and no appearance of any beneficial effect as against the scales. Under date of November 3d, Mr. Roberts wrote that ‘ “Tangle- foot’ still sticks to the trees, but I do not see that it hurts them at all. Iam unable to tell whether it helps with the seale or not, for the seale is a very rare bird here now.” Mr. John S. Collins reported, October 26th, that he had used the “Tanglefoot” on peach, pear and apple. There was no appear- ance of injury at that time, and, on the other hand, no apparent benefit had been derived, so far as lessening scale injury is con- cerned. The material remained sticky enough to prevent insects from crossing it for some time after it was applied, but at the time of the report it had hardened so that it could be readily erossed by any species. Mr. Henry Pfeiffer reported, under date of November Ist, that on June 1st he had applied the “Tanglefoot” in a band ten inches wide and one-quarter inch thick to one cherry, one apple, one peach, two pear, one quince, one chestnut, one tulip tree and one 608 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE oak. June 2d, he applied it similarly to twenty-four young apple trees two years planted, in alternate rows with check rows between. June 4th, applied to fifty pear trees, partly infested with seale. Size of trees, one to four inches in diameter, with check rows between. July 5th, all the trees were examined and the material was found in fairly sticky condition, No apparent harm to any tree, but the treated apples had fewer plant lice than the check rows. August 1st, the trees still showed no trace of injury, but the banding had hardened sufficiently to make it desirable to retouch with additional material. The treated pear trees showed no differ- ence in scale infestation as compared with the checks, but the treated apple trees looked uniformly better, owing to the smaller amount of plant lice infestation. October 1st, no injury showed on the treated trees, but the scaly specimens were now so badly infested that active measures were necessary, and they were sprayed very soon afterward with whale oil soap suds, at the rate of one pound in two gallons of water. The ‘Tanglefoot’ was retouched where it had hardened. November 1st, no treated tree of any kind showed injury or benefit from the application. Mr. Pfeiffer states that he will con- tinue the experiment another year. During the latter part of the season Mr. Dickerson saw the treated trees of the Joseph H. Black & Son farms at Hightstown, and determined that im some cases material injury had been eaused. He requested that the subjects be kept under observation and report made later. October 5th, the following report was made: “The black walnut that was broken by the wind continued to die down as far as the mixture was applied. The mulberry does not seem to be affected in any way. Sweet cherries do not seem to be affected. Paragon chestnut shows an enlargement where the material was applied on a young tree. An American chestnut that was older does not show much effect as yet. Peach trees show two separate effects; one is to soften the bark and change the color of it and on one tree it is plainly destroying the bark. On a plum tree of a European variety we find that it is having practically the same effect as on the peach, and on a prune tree we find that the bark is made brittle, and yet spongy-looking. A quince seems to have been affected the same as the prune. A Japan walnut does not seem EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 609 to be damaged at all. A pear tree has a trifle of the spongy look to the bark, but not so bad as the prune. The large apple tree does not show any effect that would indicate injury. We would never advise its use on fruit trees, especially those belonging to the rose family. Neither would we think it entirely safe on nut trees.” On the whole, judging from observation and experiment, “Tree Tanglefoot” may be considered safe on all the ordinary shade and forest trees when well out of the sapling stage, and that is more especially true of rough or scaly-barked trees. On smooth-barked trees the danger is greater until they are well grown. On apple trees there seems to be little danger ‘When the trees are well grown, and the same is probably true on pear. On young fruit trees [ should be afraid of it, no matter what the variety. It is quite pessible that some of the younger apple trees treated by Mr. Pfeiffer may show bark injury on closer examination, and, if none is caused now, it may develop in the course of another year if the application is continued. As to the field for a sticky banding, that is a large one in cities where the tussock moths are to be dealt with, and it may become a very useful material if it becomes necessary to fight the gypsy or brown-tail moths in New Jersey. “The results noted by Mr. Pfeiffer on the apple trees will make necessary a closer observation of the plant lice that feed on the tips to determine what natural checks are operative and how these, in turn, are affected. 39 REPORT OF THE MOSQUITO INVESTIGATIONS IN 1906. (611) An ( Fig. 1. interested audience. One of the attendants on collections in town lot pools. C. pipiens, sylvestris, C. jamaicensis and Anopheles are found in such pools. From an original photo. _——P REPORT OF THE MOSQUITO INVESTIGATIONS IN 1906. BANG ve) OLN 2B. SVMERTH. During the fiscal year, November 1st, 1905, to October 31st, 1906, the sum of $3,500 was available for the purpose of continu- ing work under chapter 80 of the laws of 1905, and the sum of $6,000 was available for the purpose of aiding communities that might wish to take advantage of the provisions of the law. Of the latter sum, $500 were assigned to the city of Elizabeth and $375 to the borough of Atlantic Highlands; the balance was turned back into the treasury. The writer has been continued as executive officer under the law, and all investigations have been made under his direction. As tiéld assistant especially for marsh work, Mr. H. H. Brehme has been continued, and as field assistant for inland work and to take charge of the laboratory experiments, Mr. John A. Grossbeck has also been retained. The fish investigations and experiments referred to in the previ- ous report have been concluded by Mr. W. P. Seal, and his record and conelusions form part of this report. Briefly stated, the ex- periments have not been as successful as was hoped and expected, and it is decidedly questionable whether the top minnow, Gam- busia affinis, ean be made a permanent inhabitant of any of the natural waters of the State, although this does not mean that it may not have a field in artificial waters not stocked with preda- tory fish. Each summer offers climatie peculiarities of its own, and that of 1906 was no exception to the rule. After a normal spring and early suinmer, during which Newark and Elizabeth seeured the full benefit of the marsh work by the absence of the flights that in (613) 614 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE the past filled those cities in May and June, came a period of almost daily rains. With these rains came also oppressive, sultry, high temiperature, and all those factors that make for rapid and prohtic breeding of the common house mosquito, Culex pipiens. The result was that during all of midsummer this species increased in numbers where ordinarily few if any came to maturity. It was not all a misfortune, however, since it attracted attention to many breeding places that would otherwise have been overlooked and in several places called attention to the necessity for local work. In the reports on special localities these matters are more particularly referred to, and the report on Mount Holly is typical of seonditions that exist in many other places in the State. A direct result of this accumulation of specimens during the jatter part of the season is that there are at present writing great numbers of these house mosquitoes hibernating in the cellars in the localities where they were abundant during the summer. These specimens will furnish the start for the season of 1907, and, if left undisturbed, will provide for an abundant early crop if the weather is at all favorable. It is quite possible to kill off a very large percentage of this hibernating series—all impregnated females—and every specimen killed off means a potential 200 to 400 new crop. In the report for 1904 it was shown that powdered stramonium or *Jimpson Weed” may be used as a fumigant to kill off the dormant speci- mens, and on a later page the use of the “Culicide” employed at New Orleans in the campaign against the yellow fever mosquitoes is described. Outfits for fumigating with this material are so very cheap that every local board of health could afford a dozen or more to be loaned to those who wish to treat their cellars. In fact, who- ever has an aleohol lamp can make the outfit at a cost of ten to fifteen cents, since an eight-inch section of an ordinary stove pipe furnishes the main part of it. Attention was also directed to the part played by several sylvan cr woods mosquitoes, which also were unusually abundant in some of the hilly parts of the State. These species have only a single brood annually, emerging in late April, but some of them live on until midsummer, and are a nuisance in the woodland and on porches of houses surrounded by trees near their haunts. In the account of the investigations made near Short Hills and Millburn and on the shores of Lake Hopatcong, specific reference is made to EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 615 these forms and to the methods of dealing with them. The fact that there is only one brood to be dealt with simplifies matters in one direction, but it also makes it necessary to take measures so early, before adult mosquitoes are ordinarily seen about, that there is great danger of slipping by the proper time. The Staten Island marsh area, which has been referred to in previous reports, has been eliminated as a danger to New Jersey. The New York Department of Health secured an appropriation suiticient to drain all the marshes on that island, under the direc- tion of Dr. Alvah H. Doty, the health officer of the port of New York, and practically no salt marsh mosquitoes can come from that territory in future. The work has been carefully followed through- out the summer by Mr. Brehme, and a more detailed reference follows. All the preliminary work necessary to a prompt action under chapter 134 of the laws of 1906 has been done, and there seems to be no reason why a large section of the State near the centre of population should not be cleared during the summer of 1907. The Jersey City Meadow. The Jersey City Board of Health has in the past manifested a great interest in the problem of ridding the territory within its jurisdiction of mosquito-breeding places, and during the early months of the year matters looked favorable for securing the funds necessary for the drainage of the salt marshes. April 13th, the meadows were therefore carefully examined and the board was advised of exactly what work was to be done, where a beginning should be made to secure the maximum effect early in the summer, and the amount that would be required to do the work with the percentage that would be available from the State appropriation. The expected funds did not become available, however, and nothing was done to carry out the recommendations made.* June 28th, the meadow was visited and found to contain a small brood of adults, mostly cantator, and the fourth of the season, while in the pools young larve of brood 5 were present. The marsh was not again visited until August 22d, just after brood 6, the largest of the season, had made its appearance. This was nearly all * Since writing the above, $2,500 has been appropriated by the city. 616 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE cantator, scarcely 1 per cent. of sol/icitans being apparent. A high tide had just covered the meadows and left matters in excellent shape for brood 7. Brood 6 migrated north, up the valley of the Hackensack to New Durham, where cnly a few examples were found, and up the valley of the Passaic to the mountains near Paterson, where they were taken in great abundance, The bulk of the brood remained at Arlington, however, and mosquitoes were very plentiful there on August 21st. Hot, sultry weather favored brood 7, and it was on the wing August 30th, only from ten to twelve days after brood 6. There were about 70 per cent. cantator to 30 per cent. sollicitans, and the prevailing southwest wind carried almost the whole output into Jersey City. Brood 8 was much smaller and was found on the wing Septem- ber 17th in the proportion of 60 per cent. cantator to 40 per cent. sollicitans. Its flight was not traced nor was the meadow again in- spected prior to November ist. Newark. Newark and its vicinity has been kept under close observation for several reasons. /irst, it is matter of very great importance that the work of the ditches should be watched to note what de- terioration, if any, takes place, whether there is any impairment of effectiveness and whether they are sufficient in size and number to meet the requirement of the seasons as they vary from year to vear; second, encroachments upon the marshes are made each year by. the growing city and careless interference with the drainage scheme might easily: change a safe area to a mosquito breeder; third, the city of Newark maintains an inspector on the marshes throughout the season, and it was desired to make use of his ob- servations on the habits of marsh species; fourth, it was desired to determine the location of the local breeding places and to assist the local authorities in their efforts to lessen the pest. The general results were that the citv of Newark was almost totally free from salt marsh mosquitoes during the early part of the summer, and later only a few were found from the Elizabeth or Jersey City marshes. The frequent rains and hot, sultry weather during a portion of the summer was unusually favorable to the | HXPEHERIMENT STATION REPORT. 617 development of the common house mosquito, Culea pipiens, and this was present in altogether unusual abundance late in summer. The wholé matter was in the hands of Mr. Brehme, and he reports a total of twenty-nine inspections during the season with the following results: January 11th, investigated the work in progress at Bound creek to learn whether the dredgers were interfering with the drainage. Found that ditches had been dug outside the embankment limiting the area to be filled and no interference. April 6th, found a new railroad embankment being run across the Hamburg Place section of the meadow without regard to the drainage scheme, blocking ditches and interrupting the course of a ereek, which threatened ‘to turn a safe meadow into a bog hole. The board of health was notified, and they, in turn, served the offending railroad company with notice to restore drainage. This order was eventually complied with, as inspections made April 21st and 26th determined. April 27th, an investigation was made as to the effect of some dumping operations on one of the drained sections, and it was found that this, too, was being done without regard to the drain- age. The contractors were ordered to cease dumping and a new outlet was established into the bay, so that live water was ad- mitted into the ditches. Up to this time the meadow was in good condition everywhere, and no mosquito breeding was going on anywhere. May 7th, the Bloomfield avenue area was inspected. This in previous years had been a breeding place for a number of the spring species, but was now so densely overgrown that only a few insignificant pools remained, and in these only a few C. canadensis larvee were found. May 14th, an evening tour was made to determine whether any specimens from the salt marshes were to be found. Only isolated examples could be found, where in previous years, at the same season, they could be swept up by the quart, in stores. May 16th, the lower section of the city was inspected for the board of health, to determine whether a suspected area was a breeding place for salt marsh species. The area was found to bea fresh-water swamp section, without indication of present mosquito danger. 618 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE Night inspections were continued May 16th and 17th, and only isolated examples of cantator were seen. People were sitting out everywhere, in comfort, and no one was fighting mosquitoes. May 26th, the marsh was found dry, free from mosquito-breed- ing places, and even on the Ebeling tract Mr. Erhard had little trouble in killing off the small brood that hatched there. Then came a two-days rain, measuring 3.16 inches, and the marsh was again examined May 29th. Everything was covered with water, but the ditches were working properly, and on the 31st all the water was gone except In a few places, where so little remained that its disappearance was a matter of hours only. There was a very high tide June 12th, and on the 13th it was found that the Hamburg Place area had been covered, bringing up “killies” everywhere; the ditches were working properly and Mr. Erhard was removing such driftage as was likely to obstruct the free outflow of water. All the other areas were already drained elear and no pools remained. June 18th, a city inspection was made over areas where pipiens had been known to breed and it was found that the local board had done good work, oiling some places and filling others with earth or ashes, so as to dispose of them finally. A period of high tides being in progress, the meadow was visited June 19th, and found to be water-soaked, with all depress- ings full of water, only a few of them with “killes.” June 24th, the meadow was again dry except on the Ebeling tract, on which there was quite some water containing scattering larve. A few of these developed into adults before the water was all off, but none developed elsewhere on the meadow. i June 27th, the Bloomfield area was again visited and eighteen larve were found after the closest kind of collecting, These were C. territans, 12; C. sylvestris, 3; Psorophora ciliata, 1; Ano- pheles sp., 2. An inspection of Branch Brook Park was made during the same day and larvee were found in some of the catch basins. The secretary of the commission was notified and there- after these places were regularly oiled and no breeding was per- mitted. July 3d, the fourth marsh brood was on the undrained meadows and the Newark areas were visited to see to what extent it was represented. Only on the Ebeling tract was any breeding going on, and even that was so scattering that little could be determined. —_— ~ EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 619 It was estimated that 75 per cent. of the insects were cantator and 25 per cent. were sollicitans. A month later no breeding was found anywhere on the meadow. August 12th, an inspection was made in the southwestern part of the city to locate breeding places of C. pipiens, and several cellars - of houses in course of erection were found filled with water and swarming with larve and pup. This had been cured on the 24th, and the filling of pools and similar places was continued. August 25th, no breeding was found in any of the public parks and in Branch Brook only a few cantator were discovered, obvi- ously migrants from the Jersey City meadows on a northeast wind of several days’ duration. August 29th, the marshes were dry and safe, except on the Ebeling tract, where a few larve were found, and even there nothing was found September 18th. On the 19th a tour of the city showed that the board of health inspectors were still running down and eliminating local breeding places and that conditions were everywhere better than ever before. September 22d, the first high tide of the fall came in and the meadows, which were dry in the morning, were completely flooded soon after noon, but with the flood came the “killies” in shoals to take care of any larvee that might hatch. October 1st, it was found that another railroad spur was being built without regard to drainage; the matter was reported by Mr. Erhard, and the company, in response to orders from the board, built a culvert that preserved the drainage. On the 6th the meadow was in good condition, but it was found that near the boat-houses along the bay shore barrels and boats containing water were swarm- ing with larve of C. pipiens. The marsh drainage work has stood the test of a very severe season perfectly, and Newark was freer of marsh mosquitoes than ever before. Some sections of the city remained practically free from mosqui- toes until late in the season, while others were severely infested, but in those eases it was the local breeder pipiens that was in fault, and the board of health did excellent work in locating and abolish- ing places that in ordinary seasons would not be dangerous, and are now finally done away with. It was also practically demon- strated that boards of health have ample power to enforce their 620 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE orders concerning the preservation of drainage even against rail- roads. After a few prosecutions for interfering with ditches, hay- makers on the meadows have found it advisable to bridge them, wherever it 1s necessary to drive across. Elizabeth. fewer mosquitoes hatched from the Elizabeth meadows than in any previous vears, and that is largely due to the drainage work done under the direction of the board of health of that city during the two or three years last past. Elizabeth took advantage of the State law and secured in 1905 $500 of State aid by an appropria- tion of $2,000, and in 1906 nearly the same amount by an appro- priation of $1,500. In addition, the Central Railroad of New Jersey contributed the sum of $1,000 in return for certain desired concessions, so that altogether about $5,500-have been expended. Previously, and indeed this was the first marsh work in the State, ditching had been done along the Elizabeth river, so that a great deal of the worst mosquito-breeding territory has been completely eliminated. At the present writing a large section of the marsh area east of the Newark branch of the Central railroad, nearest to Elizabethport, is completely drained. Great ditch has been cleaned and deepened where needed; a wide, deep ditch has eut off angles, and a connection with a branch of Woodruff creek has established a tidewater circulation which replaces the former stag- nant condition. Two tide-gates, now in-process of building, will prevent future overflow of the southwestern part of the meadow, and will lower the water level materially during the ensuing winter. Mr. Brehme’s reports show that he made twenty-three visits to the meadows during the season, and he states that brood after brood was killed off on the drained area, materially lessening the output of the meadow asa whole. The surface was covered with eges, and whenever tide or heavy rains filled the depressions, larvze appeared, lived for a day or two, and then by the millions their bodies coy- ered the surface of the dried-off soil. The first trip was made April 19th, with Mr. Louis J. Richards, the health inspector of the city, to determine the amount of work that still remained to be done on the Elizabeth river section. EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 621 Larvie of the first brood were then observed, but no especial notes were made as to kinds or proportions. May 10th and 11th were spent in laying out the ditch system with Mr. Richards, and a very large number of larve and pupae, forming brood 2, was observed. This brood hatched about May 15th, and was followed along the Elizabeth river, through Eliza- beth, Aldene, Salem, Union, Springfield and Maplewood, which it reached May 21st. The brood may have reached Summit and ex- tended even further inland, but was not followed beyond the First mountains. It was cantator almost entirely. June Ist, after a period of low tides, many pools were dry on even the undrained meadow, and a large portion of brood No. 3, which was then in the first larval stage, was killed off. The entire night was. passed on the meadow with Mr. Erhard, and 278 mos- quitoes—-130 cantator, 148 sollicitans-—were captured biting. The object was to determine the question of the hours at which the ‘imsects were most active, and the following table shows that clearly. All the specimens were those attacking Mr. Brehme only, and the fact that there were so few shows in itself how much better condi- tions were than in past years, when counting would have been im- possible. The night, it should be said, was warm and without wind: Between the hours— Cantator. Sollicitans. SAG A heal Eich ee a Te a ERENCES EEE 16 9 6-7 pe Ravers rime ae tate) ae Gna eeesinste 6 De 19 Gee shirt Leman sat Mantra hae fe ai taleretebairs 3 Par Sa SSB eras Lie Rey ee 9 Mil ee ea 13 14 Esl ienectire sPausictaacta casio olslclsetaneus 3 5 ‘0 IIS Le Os Sale DNRC teen il 1 Tt 2 Py a i a Pe ae are Grae re ee 2 AMIE PAPAEN Ties ceria Ss! Ncha tau vel What gabe ish alep ats 1 Ne PT eae are wil Ape) fang sae) sve or vs 2 BEB ORs 01. a tA ie ei eRe eee 2, Be ae ol chs iene aL ene a 1 3 Ae Pema PERSP H Ss icin 6)! Sh Gallic ate ses 14 20 ier OLgibas MEP RP Area hoa kutngie, td dr 8, eal au 22 46 130 148 It appears, therefore, that as between the two, sollicitans seems to have a period of rest during the middle of the night, but is much more active than cantator in the morning hours. And the propor- 622 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE tion is greater than shown by the figures, because the actual num- ber of cantator on the meadow was as about 8 to 2 of sollicitans. The advance guard of brood 3 emerged June 10th and 11th and left the meadow almost immediately. A few were seen in south- western Newark on the 13th and some of them got as far as Irving- ton, which seems to have been their migration limit. A high tide on the 12th flooded the meadows and brought up ‘‘killies” enough to wipe out fully half of the full-grown larve and pupe that re- mained in the pools. What remained was on the wing on the 20th, and this section reached Short Hills and the South Mountain Reservation June 25th, when nine cantator and five sollicitans were taken there. Newly-hatched larve of the fourth brood were found June 24th, on the 29th they were nearly fully developed and a few pupe had formed, and on July 3d the adults were on the wing. They moved inland slowly and reached Short Hills about July 12th. Twenty-one specimens were captured there on the 14th. Cantalor and sollicitans were almost equally represented in this brood. Brood 5 was another small one and was found on the. meadow, becoming adult between July 25th and 28th. It was about 80 per cent. cantator to 20 per cent. sollicitans, and did not get inland further than Irvington. August 10th, the meadow was in normal condition, the drained area with only a few odd pools containing larvae, the rest with larvee of brood 6 full grown and pupating. August 13th this brood hatched, 85 per cent. sollicitans to 15 per cent. cantator, and left the meadow almost immediately. Before the meadow was reached from North Elizabeth hundreds of sollicitans were en- countered, while on the meadow itself comparatively small num- bers only remained. This was a large brood and easily followed through every town well into Summit, where a goodly number was taken July 18th. This brood traveled almost directly west, and the towns north of Irvington, Maplewood and Millburn got only single specimens, while Irvington, Springfield, Millburn, Short Hills and Summit got a full supply. The city of Elizabeth got its first notable supply from brood 6, and fully 90 per cent. of this brood left the meadow, which, for a time, was much freer from mosquitoes than the neighboring highland. August 23d, the work of relieving Great ditch was well ad- vanced, and 1,650 feet of ditch six feet wide and five feet deep has HXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 623, been completed by Mr. Richards. There was plenty of water on the undrained meadow and young larve of brood 7 were in evi- dence. Five days ater it was seen that cleaning and relieving Great ditch had helped the meadow greatly and had taken off many tons of water. Brood 7 was nearing the pupal stage and promised to be much smaller than 6. It matured August 31st, was 65 per cent. sollicitans to 35 per cent. cantator, and did not seem inclined to migrate. I*ully 90 per cent. remained in the meadow and the balance did not get further west than North Elizabeth. September 8th, the work of clearing Great ditch and cutting the new ditch to connect with Woodruff creek was making good head- way and another brood of larvee was found in the pools, the eighth of the season. ‘The meadow was in a normal condition, 7. e., on the undrained portion about 75 per cent. of the depressions con- tained water and about half of these were filled with wrigglers, the balance containing “‘killes.” A week later brood 8 was nearly mature, but had been much reduced by the drying out of pools. September 18th it was on the wing, 70 per cent. sollicitans to 30 per cent. cantator. Most of these remained on the marshes and few got further inland than North Elizabeth. September 27th, brood 9 was found to be well advanced, and on October 2d it was on the wing, a very small one, because the high tide of September 22d had brought in “‘killies’” enough to clean out every infested pool that was reached. Ninety per cent. of these insects were sollicitans, 9 per cent. were cantator and 1 per cent. was salinarius, the first appearance of this species for the season in appreciable numbers. This was another stay-at-home brood, and did not extend beyond North Elizabeth. October 12th, a series of low tides had left the meadow very dry, and in the remaining pools young larvee of brood 10 were found. This brood was almost completely destroyed by the high tides, which brought fish to almost every pool on the meadow. It was the last brood that could be enumerated, because later only iso- lated pools with wrigglers were found. October 19th, the last regular inspection was made, the work of cleaning Great ditch, the railroad ditch, and cutting the con- necting ditch to Woodruff creek was nearly completed, and actual completion was awaiting money enough to do the work. On the whole, what was done is completed in the best possible manner, 624 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE and things are in excellent shape for a completion of the drainage scheme under the new law. Several city imspections were made to find local breeding places, and quite a number of these were found and reported to Mr. Richards, who took prompt action upon them. The Linden Marshes. The territory between the Elizabeth City line and the Rahway river, and south of it to Carteret, have been roughly called the Linden meadows, because most of the area hes within the town- ship of that name. It is one of the most virulent breeding places in the district north of Sandy Hook, and from it the migrations extend up the valleys of the Elizabeth and Rahway rivers, Lut principally up the latter, to the second range of the Orangé moun- tains. It supplements the crop of the Elizabeth meadows and the swarms spread out along the tributaries of the Rahway to Plainfield, Scotch Plains and that general territory. There is no other area as important in its effects on the settlements near the gap in the mountains through which the Rahway river flows, and for that reason several inspections were made during the summer, and a drainage scheme was worked out, to be carried cut during the season of 1907, if possible. The first inspection, made June 6th, when brood No. 3 was in the pools and some eight hundred larvee were taken to determine the species. All proved to be sol/icitans, and, because a great many of the breeding pools had a stock of “killies,” the brood was not a very large one. July 6th, brood No. 4 was on the wing, and this, consisting of 80 per cent. sollicitans to 20 per cent. cantator, was traced to Short Hills. Beginning July 12th, the actual survey of the meadow and preparation of the drainage plan was commenced, and continued, with interruptions, to July 24th, when it was completed to Port Reading. The whole marsh area was surveyed and plotted out irrespective of township lines, though in such manner as to make it possible to estimate on each section by itself. During the last days of August brood No. 7 came to maturity, and on September 5th adults were on the meadow in countless res, i. ae a) | Fig. 2. Atlantic Highlands. Two views of the Bulkhead at the mouth of Manymind Creek to prevent silting up. From an original photo. Fig. 3. \tlantie Highlands. Above is a ditch with gravelly sides from which a sod had broken so as to block drainage. Below is Manymind Creek which takes the drainage of this marsh area. From an original photo. EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 625 numbers, almost exclusively sollicitans, C. cantator being repre- sented by straggling specimens enly. This was the largest brood of the season and almost all its members remained on the meadow. There was a little invasion of the adjacent high land, but no real migration. Atlantic Highlands. The borough of Atlantic Highlands has within its limits a nar- row, winding stream—Many-mind creek—which empties into Raritan bay, and which has been subject to changes in course at its mouth through winter storms and by the action of the waves. On both sides of this stream is an area of low marsh land, fre- quently covered by the tides, and which was an ideal breeding place for mosquitoes. Whenever the waves had filled or obstructed the mouth of the creek this area would fill up and remain filled until a heavy rain or the accumulation from above would be suffi- cient to enable the stream to force its way through the obstruction and open up its mouth to the bay. A drainage commission appointed under the law had expended a considerable sum in improving conditions, had deepened and cleaned out the creek, and had begun the construction of a bulk- head to protect the mouth of the creek. Application was made for assistance from the State fund, and about the middle of June a preliminary survey was made. There was some question as to just what method of improvement was best adapted to the local condi- tions, but after some conferences it was decided that ditching would hold if properly placed, and the contract for drainage was awarded, the work to be approved by the surveyor for the commis- sion and Mr. Brehme. It was not until late in September that the work was finally begun after the ditches had been staked out by Mr. Brehme, but they were completed and certified in satisfactory condition on October 13th. A bulkhead extending out some two hundred and fifty feet through the surf has also been erected, and will, it is believed, be sufficient to protect the mouth of the creek from further impairment by the sea. On November 5th I went over the ground with Mr. Brehme and the contractor, and the result seems to be satisfactory. In some places the ditches run through a sandy streak, and must be sloped and looked after, but there seems to be no reason why, with reasonable care, the drainage 40 626 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE : system should not be maintained and this marsh area kept free from breeding places in the future. The sum of $375 was certified from the fund appropriated under the law of 1905 to assist in the completion of this work. Shrewsbury River Area. An account of the work done at Monmouth Beach and other points along the Shrewsbury river has been given in previous re- ports, and the entire region to Long Branch has been kept under more or less constant observation during the summer by Mr. Brehme. The area at Port-au-Peck had not been included in the work done in previous years, and proved a source of annoyance to the residents of the region that had already been drained. So well convinced were these that the drainage work was a success for the purpose for which it was intended that they raised money by sub- scription to get rid of the last breeding area within their jurisdic- tion. This Port-au-Peck marsh had been in the market for some time, but an intending purchaser had ineautiously been taken upon it in a mosquito season, and his intentions changed straightway. The character of the drainage required was determined by Mr. Brehme and reported upon, and work was begun early in April, when the first brood of larvae had just made its appearance. The work was laid out so as to get through the worst breeding sections first, and the main ditches were so placed as to run off the greatest possible amount of surfaee water in the least possible time. Ex- aminations were made April 17th and 27th, and again on May 2d, when the work was found to be completed, and a certificate to that effect was given the contractor. Not a specimen of this brood was allowed to get on the wing. June 17th the whole marsh area was found to be in excellent condition and not a marsh mosquito was found, but some C. pipiens had been bred in gutters and cesspools, and these were in evidence. July 5th, marsh conditions continued to be good, but town condi- tions were worse. The surface water due to rains had not been kept down, and C. pipiens was becoming more numerous. On August 7th matters had become so much worse that a systematic inspection was made, the breeding pools and gutters were enumer- ated and located, and a report was made to the Monmouth Beach Protective Association. This report was later referred to the board of he: Ith and acted upon. | a \ ! 2 ‘ ens: s 1 ~ ase ‘pe ei a. . + i = . 3 — te , ‘ 5 t i “JOM ‘HV ‘Aq Joy opvut ojoYyd B WOT ‘SOYSIBIN PURIST UOIRIG oy} UO 9UTTPORUT oy} Aq JO UoYR] Spos oSNLY OY} SULMOYS ‘SOUT OE X FG ‘SOUT IW-OULYORN °9 °31A ; ‘10d “HV “Aq doy opvur OyoYd B UOAYT ‘SOYSARI, PUBLST U0PRIS 94 SULULBIp ‘SOUL OF X 6 ‘SOIT WMO-ouULloRy mer 1 | ———e eS ee . { ‘SIO “HV ‘Aq soy opvur OJOY BV ULOL = “SOYSIBIL PUB[ST U9JBIS OY} UO YOM 7B SUBS SUTYOIIp Vv “yp SA EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 627 August 8th, the Rumson Neck area was looked over and the marsh was found in good condition. On the upland some C. pipiens were breeding, but they were not numerous at this time. The Port-au-Peck property had been sold since it was drained and tents ‘were now found on it to shelter camping parties. A year ago it was almost impossible to get on the meadow at all without gum boots, and no camping party would have maintained itself twenty-four hours, if, indeed, it persisted long enough to pitch its tents prop- erly. It was learned that some hundred houses had been planned for at this point, increasing property values many hundred per eent., all because the marsh mosquitoes had been eliminated. Att North Long Branch, which has a small salt marsh area which is not yet drained, some C. sollicitans were found August 9th, and there were also some C. pipiens that were town bred. At Long Branch proper only the local C. pipiens was found. September 1st and 3d the final inspection of the marsh areas was made and no breeding was found. The drainage scheme works perfectly, and so far as could be discovered not a single marsh mosquito developed, where untold millions emerged in years gone by. The entire area is kept in order by one man with a motor boat who gets from one point to another, patrols the ditches to see that there is no interference and removes any obstructions that may be brought in by tides or the wash from waves caused by steamers or otherwise. Whatever mosquitoes were found in this region were bred in neglected gutters, lot pools, cesspools and other stagnant water areas. After attention had been called to it matters improved, and on September 1st the clogged gutters were found opened, many pools had been filled or graded and other places had been oiled. It will not do even for communities that have destroyed the marsh species to neglect the conditions that favor the development of pipiens in a season like that of 1906. STATEN ISLAND. The work done on Staten Island has been kept under constant observation because of its bearing upon the effectiveness of the work to be done in New Jersey. The Arthur Kill, which separates the island from the New Jersey mainland, is so narrow that it 628 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE forms no sort of bar to the flight of the salt marsh mosquitoes from one side to the other. Until Staten Island conditions were im- proved, the New Jersey communities from Newark to Perth Amboy and further inland would be subject to periodical inva- sions, and, on the other hand, the Staten Island communities cannot get the full benefit of their work until the New Jersey marshes between the same points are cleaned up. Kitforts were therefore made from the beginning to secure the co-operation of the New York authorities, and the New York De- partment of Health, mainly through the influence of Dr. Alvah H. Doty, has accepted in full the general plan of extermination advocated in New Jersey. Dr. Doty had made a study of the sub- ject as it manifested itself on Staten Island, and had, independ- ently, reached much the same conclusions as the writer. Conse- quently he was quite ready to accept responsibility for carrying out the plans suggested for Staten Island, and a survey of the marsh area was made at his request, upon which an estimate of probable cost was made which resulted in an appropriation for the work by the City of New York. The general plan of this work is much lke that followed for the Newark and Elizabeth marshes, and it. involved the entire island. Work was started in the fall of 1905 and completed on the east and south shore before the opening of the spring of 1906. On the western shore the work has been continued throughont the summer and is now (November) practically completed. The ob- ject has been to drain off all surface water so as to prevent mos- quito breeding, and that work has been an unqualitied success. For the entire season the Midland and South Beach shore resorts have been practically free from mosquitoes and have prespered beyond all measure. Where, in previous years, approaching dusk heralded a homeward movement because the mosquito pest became simply unendurable, during the past season the evenings were the most enjoyable periods of the days. Putting up the screens was post- poned from time to time until the summer was gone, and it was realized that there had been a real revolution. Where, in past seasons porches were used only when carefully screened in, these sereened-in areas were not used at all. The members of the Coun- try Club and frequenters of the golf links derived the full benefit of the improvement, and while no body of men had been more _-o— EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 629 sceptical as to results, they are now convinced and even enthusi- astic. The direct results of the work have been: improvement in the meadow conditions, so that they now grow good salt hay, which can be harvested safely and easily, where there were only bog morasses with useless grasses before; increase in land values, due to its becoming more desirable for residential purposes; increased prosperity of the shore resorts and the consequent addition of new -and much greater amusement enterprises; the utilization of some of the drained areas tor industrial establishments employing an aggregate of nearly ten thousand men. It would be absurd to say that there were no mosquitoes at all on Staten Island during the summer, for the season was a trying ue and pipiens bred wherever there was a chance for it. But it was a test of the effectiveness of the drainage scheme under the most trying conditions, and it stood the test perfectly; practically no salt marsh species developed on the drained areas. But Dr. Doty took advantage of the season to locate the breed- ing places for the inland species, for wherever standing water could exist if existed this year, and an enormous improvement has been made in this direction, the benefit from which will be apparent mano. OC. Altogether, Staten Island may serve as an object lesson, and the work done there has been suggestive in many ways that will be useful in the New Jersey work, besides removing the danger to our ‘eitizens to which reference has been previously made. In the New York “Globe,” for November 14th, 1906, is a fair statement of what has been accomplished and of the benefits de- rived by the community. Dr. Doty informs me that the total area ‘drained is twenty square miles and that about 400 miles of 3. mandible; 4, palpus; EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 667 New Brunswick. It appears to be among the earliest of our spring species. In 1905 adults hatched May 1st from pupe collected April 28th, but no larvee could be found among those still remain- ing unchanged, all having already transformed to the following stage. In 1906 the first larva was taken April 20th, associated with C. canadensis in a woodland pool on the Orange mountains. This changed to a pupa on the 23d and produced a male adult on April 27th. ‘Two other larvee were taken from the same locality on the 24th of April. On the 25th quite a number were secured from Livingston Park also in company with canadensis, and from this lot eleven males and three females emerged in the six days follow- ing. The larva has hitherto not been well described by this oftice, the description appearing in the preceding report being obtained from published data. It may be characterized as follows: When full grown it is about 7 mm. or .28 of an inch in length, exclusive of the anal siphon. It is more robust than canadensis, though seareely larger, and can usually be distinguished from that species by this fact alone. In color it is dirty yellowish-gray. The head is considerably broader than long, slightly excavated helow the antennal offset and well rounded in front; four single hairs are on the central portion of the vertex, the posterior two situated immediately in front of the median line, the anterior two slightly in advance of these, and both lateral pairs placed rather wide apart. A single tuft of three hairs is at the base of each antenna. The antenna (Figure 9, 1) is uniformly grayish-brown in color, of moderate size, slightly and regularly curved inward, somewhat excavated a short distance from the base, giving the extreme hase a swollen appearance, and terminated by one very long spine, three shorter ones and a short, stubby peg. The tuft, composed of four to six hairs, is situated on the shaft a little below the middle, and the surface of the antenna is set with short, stout spines and several rows of minute ones on the basal half. The mentum (Figure 9, 2) is broadly triangular with twelve or thirteen small regular teeth on each side of the apex. The mandible and palpus (Figure 9, 38 and 4), respectively, are of the usual Culex type and are best described by referring to the figures. The thorax is rather large and robust, with slight lateral angles which give rise to tufts of long hair; two smaller tufts are on the anterior margin. The abdominal segments from one to seven are subquadrate as usual, 668 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE with lateral hair tufts. The eighth segment bears the lateral scales; these are composed or six or seven single scales arranged — in a regular curved row. The individual seale (Figure 9, 5) has a very long and strong apical spine and a number of small, hair like ones fringe the sides, the one near the apical spine being much the largest. The anal siphon (Figure 9, 6) is a little over three times as long as broad and tapers evenly toward the apex. The double pecten is composed of twelve to fifteen spines, the single spine with two to five teeth on the basal portion, usually the fewer the number the larger their size as shown in Figure 9, 7. The anal segment is a little broader than long and entirely encircled by the chitinous ring. The double dorsal tuft and dorsal brush are normal and the anal gills are longer than the ninth segment and somewhat pointed. Culex trivittatus was obtained in some numbers by Mr. Brehme in the Orange mountains June Sth, in a pool with a large brood of Culea sylvestris. Though almost full grown they proved hard to rear and only six adults, three of each sex, were secured. A few other larve were taken at Millburn, also with sy/vestris, on June +th. ; 3 Culex pretans occurred again as larvee in great numbers in early spring in the Great Piece meadows, replacing C. cana- densis in that place. Though absolutely no additional larvee were taken subsequent to April 30th, adults were found on the wing as late as September 13th. Specimens taken at that time were caged and fed on banana and human blood, but all died im a few days without ovipositing. Examination of the specimens showed no eges within the body and it is more than likely that the eggs had already been laid. Culex aurifer, usually taken by Mr. Brakeley, proved rather rare. Ouly two larvee were sent in by him, April 22d, and another was collected in the Great Piece meadows on April 21st. Adults were. found in annoying numbers July 5th, in a patch of woodland on the east side of Lake Hopatcong. Culex restuans was more abundant than in 1904 end 1905. It occurred quite generally in my breeding pails, appearing a little after the beginning of July, and was obtained from roadside pud- — dles as late as the 16th of October. To it, in conjunction with —— a ae ae ii aliag M. ' PXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 669 Culex pipiens, may be charged some of the sleepless nights that were experienced last season. Culex salinarius also occurred quite generally over the sali marsh—never, however, appearing in very large numbers. They appeared about midsummer and were found as late as the early part of November. On August 13th, a single female was caught on the South Amboy meadow. It was caged and eiven a meal of blood, which it readily took, and on the 18th laid a loosely-con- structed ege-boat, aggregating, approximately, seventy-five eggs. The young larve hatched on the 20th, ten making their advent at 3 o’clock p. mM. and five others at 5 Pp. »., showing that the larvee do not hatch simultaneously. They grew rapidly, considering their confinement, and on August 30th the first pupa was formed. This hatched September 1st and by September 7th the last of the entire lot had emerged. This species occurs as late into the season as any other New Jersey form. Mr. Brehme reported an interesting observation, in November, 1905, which came too late for incorporation into the report for that year. He found full-grown larvee in a pool on the Elizabeth marshes, which was covered with ice to’the thickness of almost one-fourth of an inch that had formed during the preceding night. After the ice had been broken he found the larvee lying at the bottom of the pool, and when scooped up with a net and transferred to a bottle showed scarcely any signs of life. In about five minutes (the bottle being exposed to the sun’s rays) they be- gan to wriggle slowly to the surface. When it was reached they ceased to wriggle and immediately sank to the bottom again. They then remained at the bottom for fully five minutes, and probably longer, before another attempt was made to obtain a fresh supply of air. It was not very long, however, before they were as active as ever, and in the laboratory almost all of them came to maturity. Culex territans was found in my pails kept for breeding pur- poses on August 4th. This species confines itself, usually, to clear, fresh-water pools, and it is rare to find them in a water pail. Uranotaenia sapphirina, a rather rare species in New Jersey, was taken in various stages of development in a woodland water area of the Great Piece meadows. The larve were very hard to rear, and, though a few reached the pupal stage, none became adult. Of the species of Corethridee, Corethra cinctipes was of rather 670 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE common occurrence in early spring collections from woodland | pools. Sayomyta albipes was unusually rare, being taken only — once at Millburn, on May 28th, while Corethrella brakeleyi was sent in by Mr. Brakeley in some numbers from Lahaway on April 20th. Full-grown larvee of S. albipes were taken in the fall, of 1905 and lived in the laboratory until January, 1906. They would probably have lived all winter were it not that no vegetation was growing in the jar in which they were confined, and the oxygen thus becoming exhausted resulted in their death. The larvee of C. brakeleyi, on account of the grasping form of the antenne and the sharp-toothed structure of the mandibles, were believed to be predaceous in habit, and during the present vear one larva was seen with another half-devoured individual of the same species in its jaws. The larva of an allied species described during the past year was observed feeding upon a minute crustaceans.