8 



this country. I have seen but two or three specimens in our collec- 

 tions, and have never seen the larva. The moth is about three-fouvths 

 of an inch between the tips of its expanded wings. The head is 

 white; the forewings are black on the basal half and white on the 

 outer portion, but more or less clouded with dark gray, with a small 

 black spot on tlie anal angle, and two or three similar spots on the 

 apex of the wing. The hind wings are pale gray. The larva in 

 Europe feeds upon animal matters, pelts, felts, carpets and also on 

 dried plants. It makes a gallery on the substance on which it feeds 

 but forms no case. 



The second moth {Tinea j^ellionella hum.) expands about one-half 

 of an inch. The head is of a dull ochre -yellow color, and the fore- 

 wings are dark gray with three dark brown spots, one on the end of 

 the cell, one ne:u- the middle of the cell, and the third below it. 

 The hind wings are silky gray, and lighter than the forewings. 



The larva of this species constructs a cylindrical case of the 

 materials on which it feeds, binding it together and lining it with silk. 

 This case is enlarged as the insect grows, by splitting it on one side 

 from the middle to one end, and filling in a new piece of the material, 

 then it splits the opposite side and puts in a piece in a similar manner, 

 after which the other end of the case is enlarged in the same way. 

 I took a pair of moths of this species, male and female, and put them 

 into a glass jar with a piece of blue flannel. The female laid her 

 eo-gs which were so small that they were overlooked, but in a short 

 time there were about sixty minute larvae, each with its tiny case, 

 crawling about and feeding upon the flannel. When these larvae were 

 about three-fourths grown, I removed the blue flannel and put in a 

 piece of a scarlet color ; and when they enlarged their cases the scarlet 

 stripes which they had pieced in were plainly visible. 



These moths may be seen from the last of May until August flitting 

 about in our houses in the evening, avoiding the light, but seeking 

 the darker portions of the rooms. Those small moths that are 

 attracted to the light are not clothes moths, but some species which 

 live upon plants out of doors. The clothes moths pair and lay their 

 eggs in the night, but rest quietly on the walls of the rooms, or in 

 some concealed place during the day. 



This species feeds upon all kinds of woolen clothing, carpets, furs, 

 feathers, etc. The larva is dull whitish with the head and upper 

 part of the next segment of a reddish brown color, but it never leaves 

 its case unless forced to do so. 



