322 OUR HOUSEHOLD INSECTS 



in the wings of such specimens as it could reach in 

 a rather carelessly preserved collection of butterflies. 

 Some of these last instances evidently indicate that the 

 silver fish, though very partial to vegetable matter, is 

 quite prepared to seek its food in the animal kingdom 

 should the opportunity be afforded. 



Some of the most curious and annoying of the damages 

 wrought by this insect have taken place in museums, 

 where the inscriptions on the labels of specimens have 

 been rendered illegible by their little jaws, though the 

 labels \themselves have been left intact. One such 

 instance is recorded by Dr. Hagen from the Geological 

 Museum at Boston, U.S.A. A new form of label, 

 printed on good card, had been employed for re-labelling 

 the collection. The specimens being kept in little square 

 boxes, the ticket was folded in half, one portion being 

 placed under the stone, whereby it was kept in place, 

 while the name of the specimen and its locality were 

 written on the upturned half. The whole collection 

 having been thus neatly labelled, in the course of the 

 next twelvemonth the surfaces of the cards gradually 

 changed in appearance, looking as if they had been 

 scraped, many of the inscriptions being in consequence 

 completely destroyed, and others partially obliterated. 

 The change being a gradual one, and no foe of course 

 being visible, as the work of destruction was done at 

 night, it was at first a puzzle what could be the cause. 

 After a while, however, the culprit was discovered 

 in the shape of a certain species of Lepisma, not 

 quite the same as our L. saccharina. The insects 

 had evidently been attracted by the superior finish 

 of the labels, the glaze on which, composed of starch, 

 had proved so strong a temptation to them, that 

 every exposed part was scraped, the only portion left 



