COLEOPTERA. — DERMESTID^. 157 



murinus is found in the bodies of moles stuck up in fields to dry, con- 

 suming all the fleshy and tendinous portions, leaving the animal a 

 complete skeleton.* They also feed upon feathers, dried meats, 

 bacon, the dried horns and hoofs of animals, meat in larders, books, 

 paper f, &c. ; escaping observation by their minuteness, and rendering 

 precaution useless by their perseverance. The larvae of Anthrenus are 

 in like manner very injurious in collections of preserved insects. Al- 

 though obnoxious in these respects, the insects of this family are of 

 infinite service in the economy of nature, by causing the rapid de- 

 composition of animal matter into a substance fitted for the improve- 

 ment of the soil, and by their labours, united with those of the Silphre, 

 Necrophori, &c., destroying such portions of these remains as are left 

 untouched by the Flesh-flies, which only consume the soft portions of 

 the carcasses. Like the perfect insects, their larvae are seldom observed 

 upon the surface of the matters which they attack. So general, how- 

 ever, is the taste of some of these insects, that Mr. Kirby is recorded 

 to have discovered the larvae of Derm, vulpinus in some specimens of 

 flexible asbestos called Aniianth, and which they had perforated in 

 various directions, undergoing their transformations therein. That 

 these holes were not made merely for the purpose of the insect be- 

 coming a pupa therein is evident ; since they are not very particular 

 in selecting a spot for this purpose, not only becoming pupae in the 

 exuviae of the animal they have devoured, but even under their own 

 excrement. (See Gcedart, No. 114. ; and Z>e Geer, vol. iv. p. 196.) 



* In some of the Egyptian mummies lately opened, a great number of dead 

 specimens of several species of Dermestes have been discovered in the interior of the 

 body, together with a number of their larvae, also dead ; hence, from the circum- 

 stance of these larva; being found dead in a situation wliich appears at one time to 

 have been congenial to them, I am induced to think that these insects must have 

 found their way into the body previous to the final operation of embalmment, whereby 

 they were destroyed. See Mr. Pettigrew's recent work upon Mummies, wliere one 

 of these Dermestes and its larva (from which the hairs had been entirely rubbed 

 off) are represented, with numerous details. Sec, also, Hope, in Traits. Ent. Soc. 

 London, v. i. ; and Atkinson, in Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xiv. ^-^pp- Latreille also tells us 

 that the larva of Dermestes murinus frequents the nests of Philanthus apivorus, pro- 

 bably for the purpose of feeding upon the bodies of the bees stored up as food for 

 this insect (vide Latr. Hist. Nat. des Fourmis, p. 320. ). Linnaeus also mentions 

 that a perfect insect of this species crept out of the plumage of an owl which he 

 shot in Lapland [Lachesis Lappon. vol. i p. 206.). 



f In the Annules Soc. Ent. France, 1837, p. 499., is an account of tlie ravages of a 

 species supposed to be D. chinensis, the larva of which completely destroys books, 

 paper, &c., in the island of Guadeloupe. 



