PREVENTION AND REMEDIES. 115 



is gone out of it, and expensive repairs or restorations are an absolute 

 necessity. 



It should be borne in mind that, in the words of Mr. E. A. Butler 

 (see his work previously referred to, p. 6) regarding A. striatum 

 [ = domesticum) larvae, "no wood is so old and dry that they cannot 

 extract nourishment from it " ; and I could name more than one 

 cathedral where carving or relics of past days are allowed to fall a 

 prey to the so-called "Dust Beetles" with as little care being be- 

 stowed to prevent antiquarian or artistic loss, as to prevent disaster to 

 members of the congregation who may come to trouble from seating 

 themselves over-hastily on a chair with an overly perforated leg ! 



In household affairs, the best way to ascertain whether mischief is 

 going on is to turn up the lower side of chairs and tables, and examine 

 whether perforations such as would be made with a very large pin are 

 present. The dust falling from the borings would be a sure guide, 

 but it may well be that in many cases this will have been swept away, 

 and examination may be necessary to be absolutely certain of the 

 state of the furniture. The little holes may be found in any other 

 part of the furniture, as the legs or backs of chairs, fronts of picture - 

 frames, &c. ; but for the most part the portions which are most out of 

 sight appear to be preferred for attack, — conjecturally because these 

 are most exempt from the rubbings, dressings, polishings, and other 

 housemaids' operations, which rub off the " Dust Beetles' " eggs, or make 

 the surface of the wood unsuitable for egg-deposit. 



If the egg is detached (so far as observations go), the larva cannot 

 effect an entrance into the wood ; also the mother beetle appears to 

 exercise such care in choosing a suitable place for egg-deposit, that it 

 is presumable that many kinds of applications to the wood to be pro- 

 tected would serve for deterrent purposes. 



Good rubbing with beeswax and turpentine is a very good pre- 

 ventive if applied in late spring or early summer when the beetles are 

 chiefly about. 



Where more thorough measures are needed, a good application of 

 turpentine, or of furniture oil, liberally applied to the perforated sur- 

 faces, so that it may be sure to soak into the little holes, and also may 

 make the surface unsuitable for the egg to be fixed to, is an excellent 

 treatment. Corrosive sublimate has been found to answer well (as, 

 for instance, applied by soaking a choice carving which it was wished 

 to save from attack in the fluid) ; but this being poison, it is not to be 

 generally recommended. 



For general purposes, as for prevention or remedy of attack to 

 beams, joists, or under floors in houses or farm buildings, probably 

 tarring (early in the season, as above noted) would do all that is 

 required to prevent egg-laying, and in farm buildings the smell of the 



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