THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 69 



with black pigment, the wings having several small dark 

 pigmentary dots and dashes on them ; a line of black; pig- 

 ment is also observable on the lower half of the back of the 

 creature's wings, and finally ends in a blotch at the lips, the 

 abdominal segments settle down to a darker tone, especially 

 so along the back, and on or about the sixth or seventh day 

 of its pupation the markings of the imago arrive at their full 

 development. The imago in order to gain its liberty bursts 

 open the front and back of its puparium, and, after inflating 

 and drying its wings, enters upon the pleasures of its new 

 stage of life. When disturbed the imago moves with a quick 

 gliding motion, doubling and turning about with great swift- 

 ness. Although the autumn brood of this beautiful insect is 

 well known to hybernate, I have failed season aiter season in 

 keeping it alive beyond a few weeks. 



Chas. Healy. 

 74, Napier Street, Hoxton, N. 



Observations on tJie Economy of Dermestes Lardariiis. 

 By Mr, Charles Healy, 



During theseasonof 1866, 1 found that a number of the larvae 

 of this little beetle had taken up their residence inside my desk ; 

 I was constantly meeting with them ])iding under the papers, 

 &c., being unable to pay much attentiun to them : I however 

 allowed theni to remain in con)pany with some larvae of Tinea 

 biselliella, QCcophora pseudo-spretella and Ephestia elutella ; 

 but after a time, on account of their emitting an unpleasant 

 odour, I was compelled to collect and throw them away. 

 Last April, almost every time I suddenly opened the desk I ob- 

 served one or more of the perfect insects scampering about: 

 this state of things continued until the middle of the following 

 month, when, in consequence of sudden illness, 1 lost sight of 

 them for three weeks. 



On resuming office duties the first object that attracted my 

 attention, on opening my desk, was the sight of some of my 

 old friends of 1866, engaged feeding on some stale bread and 

 cheese and arrowroot biscuit; and their re-appearance in- 

 duced me to pay a little more attention to them than I liad 

 previously done, 1 noticed that the body of these larva? was 



