898 



been (to omit here tlie wliiteants, roaclies, and springtails) either *S^ito- 

 drepa imnicea* or Ptimisfur. 



Tbe iniagos of these species have been frequently figured; regarding 

 their hirva' it suffices to say that tliat of Ptinus fur (as well as other 

 species of the same genus) is at once distinguished superficially from 

 the larva of Nicobium hirtum by the complete absence of sjiines on 

 the dorsal surface. The larva of Sitodrepa panicea, however, closely 

 resembles that of Xicobium, but is much smaller and lacks the spines 

 on the third thoracic segment. 



Another dangerous library l>est in the West Indies is Anohkim bib- 

 liothecan>m,f so named by Prof. Ph. Poey (Mem. sobre I'Hist. nat. de 

 Cuba, vol. I, 1851, p. 228), some thirty years ago was very destructive 

 to the libraries at Havana, Cuba. There can be but little doubt that 

 the library pest on the island of Guadeloupe, described by L'Her- 

 minier,f must be referred to the same species. This insect appears to 

 a native of the West Indies, and has never been found in ISTorth America, 

 but if imported with old books or otherwise it may possibly propagate 

 in the Southern States. It is of a black color, covered with an 

 extremely fine, prostrate, grayish pubescence, and the wing-covers are 

 not striate. This last character will at once disting-uish it from all 

 other Ptinida" known to infest libraries. 



In a large library these ptinid beetles are more difficult to deal with 

 than one would expect. In the first instance their presence is easily 

 overlooked until they have become very numerous, because they prefer- 

 ably infest the leather bindings of old volumes which are rarely dis- 

 turbed on their shelves § and further because outward signs of their 

 work are but little evident. Thus a careful and repeated overhauling 

 of the books is necessary to ascertain even the extent of the infestation, 

 although we are well aware that in a library containing many thou- 

 sands of volumes even a single overhauling is a matter of considerable 

 magnitude and expense. Then comes the difficulty in exterminating 

 the larvte since by no means all of them can be shaken from tlie volumes 

 during the examination. All infested volumes should be placed in a 

 separate, well-closed room, where they should be frequently examined 

 or fumigated with bisulphide of carbon in a tight chest. 



* This includes tlae case reported by Mr. Scudder from the library of the Boston 

 AtheniTJuni (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. x, pp. 13, 1-i. The scolytid beetle, 

 Uypolhenemus crudiUis, -which was fonnd by Westwood in England injuring the paste- 

 board bindings of a book, has never been found in North America under similar 

 circumstances, although what is supposed to be the same species is extremely 

 abundant with us. 



■tDr. LeConte suggested (Library .Tonrn., vol. iv, 1879, p. 374) that this species 

 should be referred to the genus Eupactus, and more recently Mr. A. Salle (Ann. 

 Soc. Knt. France, 1889, p. 418) places it in the genus Cathorama. 



I Ann. Soc. Ent. France, vol. vi, 1837, pp. 499-502. The species is there named 

 Dermcsies chitieiisii but is evidently a ptinid (see Dr. H. A. Hager.'s note in Library 

 Jouru., vol. IV, 1879, p. 374). 



Q " Les livres et les dossiers sonimeillant dans les bibliothe<|ues " (Ed. Ferris, Larves 

 de Col., p. 246). 



