18 BONES. 
cork; but it is from their damage to bones and to the wood of the 
buildings containing them that they may be fairly placed amongst 
occasional agricultural pests in this country. 
In the past season such a plentiful supply was sent me both of the 
beetles and their long hairy grubs in living and active condition, 
together with specimens of the gnawed bone which they had infested, 
and the honeyecombed wood which they had completely ruined, that 
I had good opportunity for observation of the attack, and also by 
placing some of the grubs in a tube closed with a large cork I was 
able to watch their power and willingness for burrowing into this 
material. 
The specimens were sent me by a proprietor of bone stores, used 
for manufacture of bone manure, in the south-west of England, but 
for obvious reasons I do not give the address. 
The first communication, which was sent me on Sept, 24th, was 
as follows :— 
‘¢ Bons Srores.—In some stores, in which I have bones stored for 
manure manufacture, a heap of bones has been standing for some six 
or nine months, and a plague of flies’”’ [beetles rather.—Hp.] ‘‘ have 
really honeycombed the bones, and not only the bones, but the posts, 
and floors over them. They have done serious damage, not only to 
the bones, but the stores. I herewith send specimens of the bones 
and the wood, as well as the flies. Can you suggest a remedy other 
than carbolic acid and hot water, with which I propose soaking the 
place ?” 
In reply, I gave requisite identification of the beetles and their 
erubs, together with some suggestions for checking attack, amongst 
others that of a thorough tarring of such of the woodwork, as beams, 
uprights, &¢., to which tar could be applied; as it might certainly be 
expected that with these remarkably hairy grubs, any of them that 
endeavoured to cross a recently tarred surface would at once be stuck 
fast, and even the smoother and more active beetles would at least 
not penetrate through a coat of damp tar. 
To this my applicant replied, on Sept. 29th, that he was already 
starting tarring the woodwork, and grinding the bones into dust, 
which the beetles did not seem to touch; and on Oct. 1st he further 
added :—‘‘ As to their food they certainly prey on the bones, which 
are completely riddled where they have laid for long in the centre of 
the heap (about twelve months). The’’ [beetles] ‘‘ seem to propagate 
on spots of grease, or dirt of that nature, anywhere in the store. In 
cold weather they retire into holes and crevices, but when the boiler is 
heated and the place warm they come out in swarms, and I wash them 
down with carbolic acid in hot water.’ 
In regard to the habits of this D. vulpinus, as preying on skins and 
