4^6 THE MOTHS. 



wings are of an afli- colour ; the body and the legs black, 

 and the antennse fetaceous*. 



Another moth, diftinguiftied by its deflruclive effects 

 atnon^ woollen articles of apparel is thus charafterifed in 

 the Fauna Sivecica : The autennce are fetaceous, the 

 tongue fpiral, and the thorax marked on each fide with a 

 white fpot. This animal is of fmall fize ; the wings afh- 

 coloured ; the head, legs, and the whole under fide of the 

 body are white f . 



Thefe moths conflru^l the abode in which they refide, 

 of the grains of wool which they gnaw oiT the cloth : 

 Their food is of the fame fubllance ; and what greatly 

 increafes the extent of their devaftations is, that every 

 flep they advance upon cloth, feeling themfelves incom- 

 moded by the wool in their way, they gnaw a fmooth 

 paflage for themfelves, like a man with a fcythe in his 

 hand, cutting down the grafs of the meadow as he goes 

 along X' 



Thefe habits of the moth render them among the moft 

 deftrucVive ofinfedls. The moft coftly articles of fur are 

 thofe which are not worn every day ; and for that very 

 reafon they are mofi. expofed to their attacks. The me- 

 thods for preventing their devaftations may be reduced 

 to the two following ; either we mufl deftroy the infects, 

 or render our clothes difagreeable food for them. 



The moths may be deftroyed by oil, or the fumes of 

 tobacco. And as wool is never fubjedl to their depre^ 

 dations, fo long as it remains upon the flieep, the moll 



likelj 



• p.ai Infefl. p. Z04. n. 9S. 



I Vide Reaumur, Tom. III. & Regne Animale, Tom, II. p. 163, n. 83, 



I Reaumur, Tom. III. p. 5. 



