528 The Zoologist — December, 1866. 



common arsenic in the mortar bas been found eflFective in tbis country (India). With 

 respect to the roofs and floors, double T-beaded iron beams are replacing wooden 

 ones ; iron also being used for what are, I believe, called the bridj^ing joists (burgahs 

 is the word used here), and one house has been built in Calcutta without a beam in it, 

 the floors and roof being rather flat masonry arches. As to the woodwork, generally, 

 let me direct altcniion to Dr. Boucherie's patent for impregnating wood with sulphate 

 of copper, which would, I believe, be very useful. The process is simple and cheap. 

 It consists of forcing, by atmospheric pressure, a solution of sulphate of copper (6 of 

 the sulphate to 100 of waler) through the pores of the wood, replacing the sap. It 

 has also the advantage of rendering some cheaper woods available for building 

 purposes. As to book-cases, pier tables, 8cc., flat circular pieces of copper sheeting, 

 about six inches in diameter, placed under the feet of the book-cases, I have always 

 found efl'ective. The white ants will not walk over copper, because, as I have heard it 

 said, of the action of formic acid on the metal. They will, however, not only burrow 

 up the unprotected feet of book-cases, but will also bridge over the distance from the 

 wall, and erect tubular columns by which to ascend from the floor. It mi;;ht therefore 

 be expedient in St. Helena to cover the floor underneath the book-shelves, and also to 

 back them completely with sheet copper. I may add, that white anls will not 

 willinglv attack teak wood. Some short lime ago they ascended from the floor by a 

 hollow lube to the bottom of a chest of drawers, but they gave up the attempt when, 

 as I fancy, ihey found that the wood was teak. I can hardly hope that these hints 

 will be very useful to one so experienced as Mr. Edfjar Layard, but they may be of 

 some service to others. — Morris Beaufort; Bengal Civil Service, Chillagong. — From 

 the ' Field ' Newspaper. 



Dermestes lardarius aUacking Birds' Skins. — Herewith I send a small beetle and 

 several skins of ils larvae. Its history is as follows: — On the 28th of last May 

 I skinned and mounted a specimen of the redshank, dressing the skin with a com- 

 position of soap, lime, alum and camphor, in the proportion of one ounce of the last 

 three ingredients to one pound of the soap. I ought perhaps to mention that the skin 

 was a very greasy one, the bird being so fat. About a week or ten days afier this 

 I found that the specimen was being destroyed by some insect, and I also found 

 several of the larviE cases underneath the bird. To destroy these insects I baked the 

 specimen in a slow oven for an hour or two, and this bad the desired efl'ect. One of 

 the larva", however, dropped from the bird, and this I carefully saved, intending to try 

 and find what it would come to. I used occasionally to drop in a fly or something of 

 the sort for it to feed on, until it turned to a sort of white chrysalis; in this state it 

 remained for a week or two : on looking into the box this morning, instead of tlie 

 chrysalis, I found the enclosed beetle: probably you will at once recognise it. — 

 W.Jeffert/,jun.; Ratham, Chichester, October 20, 1866. 



[The beetle is Dermestes lardarius, commonly known throughout the country as 

 the "bacon bug": it is exceedingly destructive to bacon, hides, birds' skins and every 

 kind of animal matter stored in warehouses. In the preservation of the skins of birds 

 or animals for ihe museum ihe arsenical soap alone should be used ; its qualities have 

 been thoroughly proved, whereas the numerous modern recipes have not been tested by 

 practice, and therefore had belter be avoided. — Edward Newman.'] 



London : Ei>v/ard Newman, Printvr, 9, Devonshire Street, Bishopsgate, N.E. 



