BOOKWOEMS FOUND IN AMEKICA. 47 



London in 1675, and owned by John Carey in 1782. In the 

 lower right-hand corner of page 46 a small worm lay buried 

 in a hole it had eaten in the pages. The worm was motion- 

 less, and close to its tail was a conical cocoon. One worm 

 began at the end of " Seneca " to eat forward, while the 

 other began at the front and worked towards the end. 

 These worms appear to be the first of their kind found 

 in America. 



The account from New York states that the worm eating 

 in the front of the book was about three-eighths of an inch 

 long and one-eighth of an inch in diameter. Its head 

 ended bluntly, while its tail tapered to a sharp point. It 

 was the colour of water mixed with oatmeal. Being dis- 

 turbed by one of the many who saw it, the cocoon Avas 

 torn from the paper. The worm raised itself suddenly, 

 but almost instantly resumed its former position, deep 

 in the pages. The American report also states that 

 when the cocoon was examined under a microscope it 

 appeared to have six legs, or cases, and a white median 

 line, barely perceptible, on its inner side. At the end 

 from which the worm had emerged were two fine horns, 

 thinner than silk thread. There were five rings around the 

 tail. The structure of the shell was so thin that one could 

 easily see through it. On the third day one of the worms 

 died. The other gave up the task of consuming the 

 " Seneca " two days later. 



This appears to be the first case of bookworms found in 

 America ; but, although the American libraries are free 

 from the ravages of the bookworm, yet they are infested and 

 damaged by a small cockroach — the Croton Bug, or Blatta 

 Germanica. 



