Licence: In copyright
Credit: Service publications. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.
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![r)9 The following pages contain the results of tlie investigation as to the occurrence and distribution of mosquitoes in the coastal towns of North Queensland. BURKETOWN. Burketown is situated 30 miles inland from the mouth of the Albert' River on its left bank, and is about 1,500 miles from Brisbane, with a population to the district of 265 (Census 1911). The coimtry immediately surrounding Bxirketown is flat and almost devoid of trees, but fmther inland it gradually becomes covered with belts of stunted gum and other trees. There is a small creek near the centre of the town, draining into the river, which contains stagnant water in the dry season. There are several swamps close to the river, but they are not in the immediate vicinity of the town. During the wet season, heavy rains flood the country, rendering the coach route to Normanton impassable for vehicular traffic. The general type of dwelling-house is constructed of galvanized iron, with or \\athout verandahs. Only here and there tire wooden houses with verandahs to the fi-ont and back. The domestic water supply is contained in rain water tanks of galvanized iron, which have the usual sieve-like covering to the man-hole ; the bottom of which is perforated with a number of nail holes, large enough to give adult mosquitoes access to_ the water. The artesian bore in the town, with a depth of 2,304 feet, has a daily flow of about 100,000 gallons, but this .supply is not used for domestic purposes. The garbage depot is a considerable distance from the town, and, with the exception of a small collection of tins near t,lie creek, there is no other refuse in the town. Mosquito larvae and pupae were breeding in these tins, and belonged to Culex fatiqans and Culex sitiens. There is a pronounced seasonal variation in the number of mosquitoe.s during the dry and wet seasons. During the months of the wet season they abound, but they are not so numerous in the dry season. This observation applies equally to the house mosquito, as well as to the bush mosquito. The adult Stegomyia jasciala was not common in Burketown at the time of my visit. Larvae were, however, seen on several occasions in the water tanks and in the watei' contained in other receptacles, such as disused tins, flower vases, and bedroom water jugs. The adult mosquitoes of Culex falu/ans weie found in houses, particularly m bedrooms, and a large number of them, besides nmnerous larvae and pupae, were contained in an old, disused, and open house tank. The larvse wer(^ also found in some of the house tanks and in the collection of tins near the creek. The anophelino mosquito, Nyssorhf/nchus annulipes. is not a common species in the town, which is probably due to the fact that their nearest breeding-ground is some distance away. The lai-vte weTv found in small numbers in the shallow water along the edges of the swamps on the side of the rivp]' away from the town.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21352410_0073.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
