JOURNAL OP PROCEEDINGS. 
XXXV11 
daily if the book were placed in an air-tight box, as he had found 
this acid extremely serviceable in destroying fleas and other ob- 
noxious insects. 
Mr. J. C. Johnston stated, that in the West Indies he had been 
in the habit of washing the backs of his books with a fluid com- 
posed of ten grains of corrosive sublimate and four ounces of al- 
cohol, and which had completely prevented the attacks of insects. 
Mr. Stephens suggested that baking the books infested, in tin boxes, 
or by placing them in a close tin box, and immersing this in boiling 
water, would have the effect of killing the insects ; this latter being 
the more preferable plan, and which had been adopted by Ento- 
mologists whose collections were infested with Dermestes, Sec. 
Mr. Sells stated, that in the West Indies, the book-binders, at 
his suggestion, had employed corrosive sublimate in making the 
paste used in book-binding, which had a very good effect. He also 
stated that, at St. Thomas’ Hospital he had been informed that it 
was the practice to apply heat to sheets and other garments to de- 
stroy lice, &c., and inquired the degree of heat which would be 
sufficient for this purpose. Mr. Stephens mentioned that 170° 
would be sufficient to destroy the book-worms, and would not have 
the effect of injuring the books. 
Mr. Hope stated, that M. Temminck, the celebrated ornitho- 
logist, previous to his departure from Europe, had his books dipped 
in a solution of quassia, which had preserved them from the attacks 
of insects in tropical climates ; and also stated that a solution of 
colocynth would probably be found equally serviceable. 
The following memoirs were read : — 
“ Catalogue of Coleopterous Insects found near Penzance and 
in other parts of the Land’s End District.” By Frederick Holme, 
Esq., M. A. 
“ Inquiries into the ground for the opinion that Ants lay up 
Stores of Food for the Winter.” By the Rev. F. W. Hope. 
In reference to the last-mentioned paper, Mr. J. O. Westwood 
contended that the facts stated by Col. Sykes in his Memoir upon 
Alia providens, did not warrant the assertion that ants laid up 
stores, as it was evident that the grain still remained unconsumed 
many months after it was first collected, and he considered that in 
this and other cases, where grain appeared to have been collected 
for food, it was rather for the purposes of the architecture of the 
nest, as, indeed, Huber had suggested in the case of the great 
wood-ant. Moreover, dried grain did not constitute the food of 
ants, which were more partial to fluids, raw flesh, ripe fruits, Sec . ; 
