THE CANADIAN KNTOMOLOGIST. 91 



Anthrenus Mus.eorum Liii. (Castanne MelsJ — This beetle is 

 abundant in May and June on many flowering shrubs, especially Spiraeas. 

 In May, 1881, also in May, 1882, a number of these beetles were placed 

 in a box containing refuse insects, as had been done with Varii/s ; but in 

 neither year did larvc^ appear. In Europe this beetle has a bad record 

 as a museum pest, (hence its name) : but in this country I liavc seen no 

 notice of su(-h a habit. If Musceorit/it and Castanae are identical, it is 

 strange how its taste has changed so completely ,; and it would be 

 interesting to know whether it has been imported, or is a native of both 

 continents. In the latter case its European taste for natural history has 

 probably been acquired. However, may they not really be different 

 species having forms so nearly identical that the anatomical differences of 

 structure have not yet been observed, as was the case formerly with 

 several much larger beetles, notably several species of Ladmosterna, 

 Cyllene pidus and robinhe, &c.? 



Further experiments are contemplated with this species. 



Trogoderma Ornata Say. — April, 1879, found a full grown Der- 

 mestoid larva in a large insect-proof show case in my office. Length, 

 6 mm.j shape, elongate, fusiform ; color, pale, except last three dorsal 

 segments, blackish. Placed it in an empty wooden box that had con- 

 tained petroleum ointment, giving it a couple of insects for food. Monthly 

 inspection showed that it ate nothing ; that it moulted frequently and 

 became smaller. It died July, 1880, having shrunk to one-fourth its 

 original size. Fifteen skins, some of them exceedingly thin, were taken 

 from the box, showing that it had moulted once a month. In May, 1881, 

 five full grown larvae, corresponding to the above, were found in the same 

 case, having evidently lived on flies that had entered at such times as it 

 had been opened. These were placed in a new ointment box, turned 

 from poplar ( Liriodendron tulipifera)., the sides of which were one-eighth 

 inch thick. Inspecting them two weeks afterwards, two were found to 

 have escaped by gnawing oval holes through the sides of the box close to 

 the top. The third had almost completed another hole, while the remain- 

 ing two had not commenced ojjerating. These three were placed in the 

 petroleum ointment box above mentioned, and made no attempt to gnaw 

 out, — the petroleum probably rendering the wood unpleasant to their 

 taste. Seeing that they moulted as the former had done and that they 

 were not likely to develoi), ihey were placed in a wide mouth bottle 



