Miscellaneous Suggestions. 419 



cordially dislikes, and that is the insect the vernacular 

 name of which is the moth. 



Who has not thought vicious thoughts when, examin- 

 ing his stock of flies preparatory to his first outing of 

 a new season, he sees the unsuspected ravages of these 

 insects upon the contents of his fly-book his collection 

 so choice in variety, so excellent in quality at the close 

 of the preceding season, now wingless, legless, worth- 

 less? Who has not then asked himself what precau- 

 tions will prevent a recurrence of this misfortune ? The 

 solution of this problem must be sought in a life history 

 of the moth itself. 



The Agricultural Department at Washington has in- 

 vestigated the natural history of many of the pernicious 

 domestic insects, among them the moth, and has pub- 

 lished directions how they may best be combated. The 

 conclusions, as far as the moth is concerned, may be 

 summarized in half a dozen words. Keep the eggs out, 

 and there will be no trouble. Let the eggs in, and 

 there will be trouble, notwithstanding the presence of 

 camphor, naphthalene, cedar, or any other supposed pre- 

 ventive. The efficacy of these preventives is limited to 

 repelling the mature insect when seeking a suitable 

 place to deposit its eggs. If the eggs are once deposited, 

 they will hatch despite any of these preventives, and 

 the grub, which alone does the mischief, will devour 

 whatever suitable food it may find. 



The deduction from these observed facts is simple. 

 First, see to it that no moth eggs are present in the fly- 

 book when it is put away at the end of the season. 

 These eggs are not at all adhesive, are spherical, and 

 about the diameter of a small pin. If each leaf of the 

 fly-book is separately examined, and every part be well 



