INSECT PESTS CASES FOR STORING SKINS. 107 



interior of a skin ; whilst the minute eggs are commonly 

 altogether overlooked. But the " bugs" are not long at work 

 without leaving their unmistakable traces. Shreds of feathers 

 float off when a specimen is handled, or fly out on flipping the 

 skin with the Angers, and in bad cases even whole bundles of 

 plumes come away at a touch. Sometimes, leaving the plu- 

 mage intact, bugs eat away the horny covering of the bill and 

 feet, making a peculiarly unhappy and irreparable mutilation. 

 I suppose this piece of work is done by a particular insect, but 

 if so I do not know what one. It would appear that when the 

 bugs effect lodgment in any one skin, they usually finish it 

 before attacking another, unless the3' are in great force. We 

 may consequently, by prompt removal of an infested specimen, 

 save fui'ther depredations ; nevertheless the rest become ''sus- 

 picious," and the whole drawer or box should at any rate be 

 quarantined, if not submitted to any of the processes described 

 beyond. Our lines of defence are several. We may mechan- 

 ically oppose entrance of the enemy ; we may meet him with 

 abhorrent odors that drive him off", sicken or kill him, and 

 finally we may cook him to death. I will notice these methods 

 successively^ taking occasion to describe a cabinet under head 

 of the first. 



§56. Cases for storage or transportation should be rather 

 small, for several reasons. They are easier to handle and 

 pack. There are fewer birds pressing each other. Particular 

 specimens are more readily reached. Bugs must eff"ect just so 

 many more separate entrances to infest the whole. Small lids 

 are more readily fitted tight. For the ordinary run of small 

 birds I should not desire a box over 18 X 18 X 18, and should 

 prefer a smaller one ; for large birds, a box just long enough 

 for the Ijiggest specimen, and of other proportions to corres- 

 pond fairly, is most eligible. Whatever the dimensions, a proper 

 box presupposes perfect jointing ; but if any suspicion be en- 

 tertained on this score, stout paper should be pasted along 

 all the edges, both inside and out. We have practically to do 

 with the lid only. If the lot is likely to remain long untouched, 



