FUMIGATION WITH CARBON BISULPHID 277 



phid. Frequently the holds of ships are cleared of pests 

 in this manner. The liquid is quite generally used for 

 the destruction of a number of insects commonly called 

 museum pests. When specimens are inclosed in fairly 

 tight showcases or trays, they can be easily treated in 

 the cabinet or drawer. As a measure of safety, in 

 many museums the fumigation is done annually, 

 regardless of the absence or presence of the pests. 



Killing prairie-dogs, gophers, squirrels, etc. For 

 the destruction of small animals that burrow under 

 ground, such as prairie-dogs, gophers, woodchucks, 

 squirrels, moles, rats, mice, etc., nothing has been 

 used with such gratifying results as carbon bisulphid. 

 Some years ago, when the writer was located at the 

 University of Illinois, several plots of land on the 

 Experiment Station farm were overrun with gophers. 

 Their presence greatly interfered with the experiments 

 being conducted, and carbon bisulphid was used to 

 destroy them. The holes or burrows were located. A 

 piece of cotton about the size of a hen's egg was satu- 

 rated with the liquid, thrust into the hole, and closed 

 with a small piece of sod and loose dirt stamped down 

 firmly. A few hours later several of the burrows were 

 opened, and in every case a dead animal was found 

 with its nose thrust into the cotton. It evidently had 

 made an attempt to escape the deadly vapor. 



Amount to use. A pint of carbon bisulphid, a lit- 

 tle more than a pound, is sufficient to treat twenty 

 ordinary burrows. The amount used, however, de- 

 pends somewhat upon the size and character of the 

 burrow. If rather small and in a somewhat compact 



