2 00 SECOND REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



be seen from the extracts upon these several points, that we make from 

 the letters sent to me. 



" The room had been newly papered two years ago, and an almost new 

 rag carpet was on the floor. In two recesses were cord bedsteads which 

 had never been used except as ' spare beds.' Last spring the room was 

 cleaned, but the carpet was not taken up. The strawbeds were newly 

 filled, the straw of which was all right [in answer to the suggestion that 

 the straw might have been infested], for with three other beds filled with 

 the same there has been no trouble. The floor underneath the bed is 

 not carpeted. The foot-curtains had been ironed and put up the after- 

 noon before the bed was occupied by the men. I know the beds and 

 room were clean as could be, with no vermin present. I never keep 

 any thing but a light spread on my spare beds. I made the bed with 

 clean sheets and a comfortable and bed-quilt from the closet. 



'' The bed was occupied for the night by two young men who were 

 taking orders for enlarging photographs and finishing in India ink. 

 They had no luggage with them or any packages except the cases con- 

 taining pictures. 



" In the morning, about an hour after their departure, the bed was 

 opened, and in the sheets were large vermin (lice) [these were not sent]. 

 The sheets were carefully gathered up and brought down stairs, and out 

 of doors. The bed-quilt, comfortable and bed-curtains were literally cov- 

 ered with the creatures such as I sent you. * ■* * ^he bed not 

 slept in was worse, if possible, with these little specimens than the one 

 occupied. We think the men must have distributed their garments around 

 the room. That afternoon I washed the sheets, pillow cases, straw-ticks 

 and curtains of both beds. We threw the bedding out of doors, and 

 killed all that we could find, and then ironed them on both sides. The 

 bedsteads we washed in hot water and with hot brine where they would 

 not be injured by it, and the floor the same. While they were yet damp, 

 we took Persian insect powder and puffed it into every crevice in the 

 floor and bedstead. 



" No [in reply to question], there are none elsewhere in the house, 

 and never f/tere, until these lodgers left them. We did not settle the 

 room again for weeks, but kept up a diligent search, and every few days 

 would find two or three. The last warm weather in the autumn, I found 

 quite a number on the fine pillow cases next the ticks. I had the straw 

 tick emptied and washed again, and ironed the bedding. I kept the 

 window raised during most of the winter, hoping that the extreme cold 

 would put an end to them. But to my surprise the first warm day this 

 spring, I found the white spread on the bed where they slept almost cov- 

 ered again, from which I gathered those last sent to you. I never have 

 found them larger [reply to question]. They do not soil a white spread 

 when I kill them on it. They will be in clusters, frequently, of twenty 

 or more. They appear to like white goods, cotton or linen. I have con- 

 tinued my warfare upon them faithfully while waiting to hear from you. 

 I took up the carpet, but there was nothing in it or under it, not even 

 dust, it was so clean. We uncorded the bedsteads and examined them, 

 but there was nothing in them. I do not think that they incline to wood 

 or wall. 



" Gasoline is the most effectual of any thing that I have tried for killing 



