CIk Canadian (Jirtomobpt 



VOL. X. LONDON, ONT„ AUGUST, 1878. No. 8 



SOME OBSERVATIONS ON DERMESTES. 



BY CAROLINE E. HEUSTIS, ST. JOHN, N. B. 



Having read in the Report of the Entomological Society of Ontario 

 for 1877 an article by Prof. J. T. Bell, of London, Ont., entitled " How 

 to Destroy Cabinet Pests," I thought it might not be unprofitable to 

 record my own observations on Dermesics. 



Early in the summer of 1876 I captured four beetles, three males and 

 one female, and placed them in a glass jar with a piece of the meat on 

 which I found them feeding. I observed the female deposit a number 

 of eggs on the meat, but before any were hatched I left home, and was 

 absent about five weeks. On my return I found a large and flourishing 

 colony of larvae, most of the in full grown. 



My object in rearing these insects was not to study their natural 

 history, but to find out the best means to destroy them. I put a piece of 

 camphor gum in the glass as a first experiment. The effec: on them was 

 very slight. They appeared a little uneasy at first, but in a minute or so 

 commenced crawling over the camphor quite unconcerned. I had heard 

 of a clothier who rolled tallow candles up in webs of woolen cloth to 

 preserve them from the attacks of " moths," and I resolved to try its 

 effects on Dermestes larvae. With this view I put a small piece of tallow 

 in the glass, and the effect was almost instantaneous. It was quite 

 ludicrous to see the stampede which commenced. Never did insect 

 evince more terror or disgust than did these pests. They fled pell-mell to 

 the side of the jar, but as there was no way of escape, they were obliged 

 to yield to " circumstances over which they had no control." The closest 

 observation failed to detect one going near the tallow. They remained 

 for several days huddled together by the side of the jar in a confused 

 mass. 



