AQUARIUM SPECIMENS
MOSQUITO
Time.—May or June.
Questions and Observations.—At what time of the year are mosquitoes most plentiful? In what localities are they most plentiful? Why are they most plentiful in these places? Are mosquitoes ever seen during fall or winter? How do you account for their rapid increase in number early in summer?
How do mosquitoes find their victims? Observe the humming noise and try to discover how it is made.
Watch a mosquito as it draws blood from your hand. Does the point of the beak pierce the skin?
Capture a number of mosquitoes and place them in a jar containing some water and a few straws or sticks standing upright out of the water. Cover the mouth of the jar with a glass plate or fine gauze. Watch for the rafts of mosquitoes' eggs on the surface of the water.
The eggs may also be found on the surface of ponds or open rain barrels, and may be transferred to water in a jar in the laboratory.
STUDY OF THE ADULT FORM
Note the shape, colour, sucking tube, wings, and legs. Compare with the house-fly.