Rc/forfs to the ImuvJ of ^gricuttiirc. 41 



G 11 Oil' V. 



Animals which concern Man as being injurious to his 

 worked-up Products of Art and Industry, such as (A) his 

 various Buildings and larger Constructions, Habitations, 

 (B) Furniture and Books, Drapery and Clothing, (C) Food 

 and Stores.' 



SUB-GKOUl' n. 



Furniture Beetles and Clothes Moths. 



I. Furniture Beetles. 



Sf.ver.vl enijuiries have been received from e(»nosp(»nilent.s of tlie 

 Boiu-d concerning Furnituiv Beetles and Clothes Moths. 



The so-called Furuitine Beetles are usually knowTi as " Death 

 Watches"; they are beetles belonging to the genera Arwfnum and 

 Xestohium. The gioiij) of beetles to which they belong, the Aiwhiiua, 

 are mostly found in old w<x)d ; several are found in houses, the two 

 commonest being the AiuMum domcsticiim, Foure, and Xfsti^himn 

 tcssfUatum, F. Eleven species of Anobiina are found in V,yv\\\ 

 Britain ; the two previously mentioned and A. pnnicnim, L., ami 

 Erniihivs mollh, L., are the domestic fonns. Furuitiue and wooil- 

 work are chiefly damaged by A. domcsticum and X. tcjiscl/atum. The 

 species A. panicaon attacks all kinds of stored ginnls, such as flour, 

 bread, biscuits, medicinal stores, skins, etc., and has been intnMluced 

 into most of our towns, but apjHjai-s not to be common in Scotland. 



Anolnum domaticum is a most destructive furniture iH«st, the 

 larvie eating galleries into the .solid wo<k1, and often so completely 

 riddling it that it falls to pieces; tables, chairs, and furniture may 

 become .so honey-combed by these jK'sts that they sutldcnly rolla])se. 

 The exits to these galleries are .seen as small round lioK-.s in the 

 wuoil-work. In soft wo«k1s they .soon cause complete destruction. 



Xesiobium tcssrllafum is al.so genendly dislribute«l, and occurs in 

 old trees, such as oaks and willows, but esj^cially in «tld wimmI in 

 churches and hou.ses. It is also rare in Scotlaml. 



Biith the.se si>ecies make a ctirious ticking noi.se, which has given 

 rise to their p«ipular name of " Death Watch." This noi.se is made 



