RAVAGES OF ANTHRENI. 31 



employ their wings, seeking, after impregnation, to penetrate 

 every spot wliere dried and preserved animal remains are to 

 be found, in order to deposit their eggs in such situations. 

 They counterfeit death, also, like the Byrrhi; and, from 

 their small size and banded colouring, look like small seeds. 

 In the larvae state they are exceedingly destructive, especially 

 in museums, whence they have obtained the name of museum 

 beetles, devouring the internal parts of bird skins, jjreserved 

 insects, &c., and attacking feathers and hairs, reducing all to 

 powder. They must not, however, be confounded with the 

 Tinece, or small fleshy grubs found in similar situations, which 

 form for themselves cases of hair, woollen, &c. The larvae 

 of the Anthreni, on the contrary, are uncovered, except by 

 their o\^ai coating of hairs, which are disposed in bundles, 

 the posterior part of the body being furnished with two large 

 patches, which are longer than the rest, and each of which 

 is thickened in a singular manner at the tip. These crests, 

 as they may be termed, are so arranged that the insect has 

 the power of spreading them out, in which position it affords 

 a very beautiful object when magnihed. 



The perfect insects are of a rounded and depressed form, 

 the surface of the body being adorned with undulated bands 

 of coloured scales, which are easily rubbed off. The antennae 

 are terminated by a three-jointed club, and are capable of 

 being retracted and concealed in grooves on the under side 

 of the thorax, which is produced behind, on its upper side, 

 into three lobes. There are five or six British species, of 

 which the Anthrenus (Byrrh.) Musceormn of Linnaeus is the 

 type, and which seldom exceeds one-eighth of an inch in 

 length. 



These hints will suffice for the practical collector and the 

 professed amateur ; for the more systematic entomologist, 

 who is not content with merely collecting insects, but who is 

 intent in classing his collections, arranging each in its proper 



