December 



213 



MITES 



Some valuable foreign insects in my museum 

 have been reduced to a heap of dust by an army 

 of microscopic mites, whose life work it is to 

 demolish dried specimens, and whether they are 

 butterflies, wasps, beetles, or plants seems immaterial 

 to them. 



SPINNING MITE 



(Tetranychus 

 linlearius). 



BEETLE MITE 



(Gatnasus 

 coleopiratorum). 



CHEESE MITE 

 (Acarus domesticus). 



This incident has led me to some slight study 

 of the mite family ; and I am surprised to find how 

 many species there are, and what widely differing 

 kinds of work they are engaged upon. 



We all know the cheese mite, which quickly 

 reduces our favourite Stilton to a mass of powder ; 

 this much resembles the destroyer of dried butter- 

 flies, and both are like a certain other mite which 

 abounds in damaged flour. 



