I'lNE.V. 25 



^iusciilie, J ciliala.'. I'iilpi iiinxilhires ])licati, n-articiilati. I'alpi la- 



biales cvliiulrici pilosi, artkidi Hccundi apice supra se/is una plnri- 



biisve iiistruclo. llaustclliun subuuUum. Ala; auteriores obloiig-o- 



ovata^, raro eloiiii'ata' ; ponti-rion-s ovatic sfjuaiiiatre toiige c'dluta: ; aii- 



terioiTs : c cellula diseoidali vciue 5 in niargiuciu coslalciu i)i-o(lcuut. 



Head above and in iVont hairy. Ocelli none. Antennae moderately 



thick, not so lout;" as the anterior wings, in the ^ slightly ciliated. 



Maxillary palpi folded, live-jointed. Labial palpi cylindrio, hairy, the 



apex of llw second joiid fitrnhlu'd aboce iv'dh one or viore bristles. Tongue 



hardly percejjtible. Anterior wings oblong-ovate, rarely elongate {T. 



iiifjripintclelUt) ; posterior ?ri/t//s ovate, cJutlied ivitii scales, with to)iij citia. 



From the diseoi(hd cell of the anterior wings live veins riui into the 



eosta, and five terminate on the margins below the apex. 



The maxillary ])al[)i do not appear lo be developed in CocJii/fi- 

 deUa, lAseUiella, or lugripunctelln ; T. Inselllelht even shows a 

 slight diti'erciice in the iieiiratiou of tlic wings. Tiio small species 

 7'. Ijistrigella, etc., have only /(>/'/ veins from the discoidal cell to 

 the costa, and fmn' others tcrniinaiing on the margins below the 

 apex of the anterior wings. 



The perfect insects of this genus appear in summer, those which 

 occur in houses arct liable to be found throughout the year ; they 

 fly but for short distances, but run very nimbly and keep their 

 auteniue in a c()ntimu)ns state of agitation. Some of them are 

 gaily coloured, but most of the sj)ecies generrdly found in h()us(>s 

 are of sombre hues. The larva; feed on various kinds of sub- 

 stances, cloth, horse-hair, feathers, etc., cork, fungi, decayed wood. 

 Many of them, hke T. jicUionella, construct portable cases in which 

 thc;y reside, cxserting only the three lirst segments for the pui'[)oso 

 of locomotion; others, like T. tapetzellu, construct covered gal- 

 leries of the substance on which they are I'eeding, thus destroying 

 much more than they actually consume; others, like T. hisellieUa, 

 do not construct cases nor have regular galleries, but s])iu to- 

 gether portions of the substance they arc eating for the purpose 

 of a cocoon, prej)aratory to assuming the pupa state. Those wliich 

 feed on fungi ami decayed wood, form galleries iu the solid sub- 

 stance, -which they line with silk. 



A great deal has been wriiten on l]i!>sc insects with a view of 

 preventing their ravages, but hitherto with little success. A\ here 

 they once gain a footing it is very dillicult to get rid of them ; 

 and I have myself been annoyed by T. IjisellicUa establishing 

 itself in the linings of sofa, chairs, etc., and in the carpets. An 

 occasional baking of the fiuniture will hel[) lo keej) their nund)ers 

 in check. 



These insects became known from their ravages at a very early 



VOL. III. E 



