HOUSE PESTS. 129 



a small silvery-looking soft insect with three 

 long tails, the body measuring about three- 

 quarters or half an inch. These eat up every- 

 thing in the shape of clothing or paper they 

 can get access to, the minute babies being able 

 to creep through the smallest space. Dresses 

 hanging against a wall will very soon have 

 little holes eaten out all over them, and papers 

 and books will sometimes have the surface of 

 the paper only eaten away. A photograph I 

 had was entirely destroyed that way. They 

 run very fast when discovered, and are difficult 

 to catch and kill. They get behind picture- 

 frames, and will work their way between the 

 picture and the glass if not constantly looked 

 for. One morning I discovered seven sombas, 

 as the natives call them, and one scorpion 

 behind a picture, so felt rewarded for my 

 trouble. 



Some people call them fish-tail moths why 

 "moths" it would be difficult to discover, but I 

 believe they belong to the order Thysanura or 

 bristle-tails. I have found it a good plan to 



