68 



Accordingly Mr. Townseud visited the Treasury May 23, 1888, and 

 was shown every attention by Mr. Youmans, wlio in person took liim 

 all through the building, and assisted him in making the following 

 observations : 



PERIPLANETA AMERICANA. 



The basement was first visited and many books examined which had 

 the entire backs eaten oft. These were old as well as more recently 

 bound books and were on shelves away from the floor, all being in as 

 dry and favorable situations as are to be found in the basement. Ko 

 specimens were found at work. Those found had been killed by the 

 insect powder which had been applied all over and around the records 

 the afternoon before, and were lying on their backs. They were the 

 large native species only, Periplaneta americana, there being none of 

 Ectohia germanica, the smaller common roach (called also " Croton Bug" 

 and " Water Bug"). ISTo live roaches had been noticed that day, not 

 having up to that time re-appeared. All those that had been covered 

 with the powder had died. A large number of copies of the " Senate 

 Eeport upon Methods of Business in the Executive Departments," which 

 had just been bound (printed March 8, 1888), and were piled up from 

 the floor, were half of them eaten into in patches over the backs and 

 covers outside, presenting a corroded appearance. These reports are 

 sparingly sent out on account of their value and importance. A spec- 

 imen set, showing the injuries by the roaches, will be sent to this 

 Division. These books were bound in black cloth and had been eaten 

 into for the paste with which the cloth was put on the covers. It was 

 for the same reason that the backs of the other older, leather-bound books 

 had been eaten away. Specimens of excrement found on the shelves 

 near these books no doubt belong to P. americana, and the places eaten 

 had similar excrementitious spots upon them. Many of the records 

 stored here are of the utmost value and importance, some of which it 

 would be utterly impossible to replace, but all are liable to be treated 

 alike by the roaches. In the macerating room large roaches also occur. 

 The large species seems to go no higher than one or two stories, and very 

 few of them above the basement. The basement is naturally somewhat 

 damp, is heated by steam in winter, and the roaches have been worst in 

 the darker places. They have not been as troublesome in winter. It 

 also seems that there were more of them in west wing of the building, and 

 not so many on the east side of the wing, the windows of which open 

 into the inner court, as on the west side. The injured records are stored 

 in the basement of the west wing. The walls are very solid, being of 

 stone or iron, with very few cracks or holes therein, and none in imme- 

 diate vicinity of books most eaten. The corridor outside these rooms 

 is said to be full of the roaches in the early morning. 



ECTOBIA GERMANICA. 



Upstairs all above second floor, only this species occurs. iTone what- 

 ever occur in the library, which is kept very clean and neat by the lady 



