ANOBIUM PANICEUM. 17 



How the attack was set on foot remained unknown, 

 but the damage caused was very serious. Mr. Bairstow 

 communicated on this subject as follows : " This beetle 

 has proved most disastrous to the boot and shoe trade 

 in Port Elizabeth " ; and, relatively to means of pre- 

 vention, reported observations to the effect that socks 

 containing alum were free from insect-attack. In con- 

 firmation of this socks were shown, one of which that 

 had been dipped in alum being free from attack, and the 

 other, which had not been dipped, being infested. This 

 agrees with observations as far back as the time of 

 Linnaeus, that these grubs would be destroyed by alum. 



With regard to preventive measures which might be 

 serviceably applied in the process of making the boots, 

 it appeared that as the attack was limited, or almost 

 entirely limited, to the parts where paste had been used in 

 manufacture, that the thing needed was either the mixture 

 of some chemical with the paste which, though poisonous 

 to the maggot, would be harmless to the boot-makers and 

 likewise non-injurious to the boots ; or, if it could be 

 done without causing difficulty in working the needles, 

 to use paste with the nutritious part of the flour 

 removed, and thus, even if the beetle-eggs were laid, any 

 maggots hatching from them would die for want of food. 



In the practical working of these plans there were, 

 however, some difficulties. These matters I went into 

 at the time with some of our chief manufacturing or 

 exporting firms, and also, through the courtesy of Prof. 

 Bernard Dyer, of Great Tower Street, London, was 

 favoured with analyses of the materials used for the 

 above purpose, namely, for forming in-nutritious paste, 

 of which samples were sent me for investigation. 



As widespread business interests are involved in the 

 considerations of the details of this attack, its causes and 

 its cure, I have not thought it desirable to go in full 

 here into these points ; but I preserve the letters for 

 reference in case of need, and, if desired for practical 

 use, would gladly give any information in my power to 

 any applicant personally interested. 



c 



