220 



THE WORLD'S LUMBER ROOM. 



Mr. Buckland says that he has never found a dry body 

 of an animal that had not in and about it specimens of 

 \hzDermtsttstardarius, or bacon-beetle, called a "hopper"* 

 by the ham and bacon merchants. 



" They are," he writes, " capital skeleton makers, and 

 if the skins of the creatures in the gamekeeper's museum 



Fig. 44. SKIN-EATKKS. 



be removed, the skeletons will be found underneath in 

 a most perfect state of preservation, and quite fit, after a 

 little washing, for the cabinet. The late Mr. Baker, of 

 Bridgwater, took advantage of their powers by setting 

 them to work to make skeletons of delicate things, such 

 as small birds, fishes, frogs, lizards, &c. Neat workmen 

 are these little hoppers, touching nothing but the flesh, 

 and they clean much better than ants. The animal to 



* " Hoppers " are the larvae, or grubs. 



