LEATHER BEETLE OR TOOTHED DERMESTES. 21 
numbers of beetles and grubs sent me, and also that the honey- 
combed wood obviously must have given the ordinary shelter for them, 
appeared to confirm Prof. Riley’s observation of the grubs having 
‘‘a fondness for the soft, helpless pups of their own species.”” The 
figure (p. 17) shows the appearance of the pupa magnified. 
The life-history (quoting from the same source) appears to be that, 
under special observation, the eggs hatched in from four to seven days, 
and the newly-hatched grubs, which at first were almost white, in a 
few hours took the ordinary colouring, and buried themselves in their 
food; after repeated moultings, the full-grown grub formed a chamber 
in its food material, or any other convenient locality at hand, where it 
curled itself up, loosely covered with bitten-off morsels of the material 
round it. Here it lay for six days, then moulted again for the last 
time, and turned to pupa (or chrysalis), from which the beetle deve- 
loped in a fortnight. Under unfavourable circumstances, the time 
occupied from hatching to development of beetle was found to be 
fifty-nine days; but it was considered that the duration of the life of 
the larva or grub might vary with circumstances of temperature and 
food from as short a period as two or three weeks to being extended 
over several years, as has been recorded in the case of other allied 
insects.* 
PREVENTION AND Remepirs.—In view of damage to hides and skins 
(which is the chief and also very great cause of loss to us by ravage of 
this infestation), the above notes of retarded development, occurring 
from difference of amount of warmth, &c., are important; but they 
might be of use regarding propagation in bones. Those practically 
concerned might find that warmer or cooler conditions of locality of 
bone storage might be managed so as to lessen rapid succession of 
broods. 
Heavily salted skins are stated (in entomological notes) to be ‘‘com- 
paratively free from the pest; but even the poison-cured skins are 
not exempt from attack.” Whether heavy dressings of salt might 
act well in clearing the pest from the bones we have no record of; and 
on the face of the thing, my correspondent’s own application of 
drenching with carbolic acid and hot water seems as likely as any- 
thing to act remedially. 
But though we do not appear to have any way recorded of clearing 
the bones, the woodwork at least might be protected where accessible. 
If rafters and under timbers of roof, joists and under side of plankings 
of floors, and all upright posts and woodwork, were thoroughly well 
tarred from time to time, it would be an absolute impossibility for 
these grubs, coated as they are with long fine hair, to gain entrance 
* See Prof. Riley’s paper, previously quoted, p. 260 [54]. 
