464 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL VI. No. 1193 



per cent, ether, 0.1 per cent, caffeine, ethyl 

 bromide (approximately saturated), 3.2 per 

 cent, formaldeliyde, .8 per cent, formaldeliyde, 

 .3 per cent, chloroform, .05 per cent, chloro- 

 form, 0.1 per cent, acetone, 0.51 per cent, ace- 

 tone, 17.4 per cent, acetone, 24.2 per cent, 

 ethyl alehohol, 16.1 per cent, ethyl alcohol, 

 10 per cent, ethyl alcohol, 5 per cent, ethyl 

 alcohol, 2 per cent, ethyl alcohol and 1 per 

 cent, ethyl alcohol. 



It was found that whenever the concentra- 

 tion of anesthetic is sufficiently strong to pro- 

 duce any measurable result, the initial effect 

 is always an increase of respiration which may 

 either remain approximately constant over a 

 large number of periods and then gradually 

 decline or ''the increased rate of respiration 

 may fall very rapidly below the normal when 

 the concentrations of anesthetic are too great. 



It is very noteworthy that in no case was 

 the respiration of Laminaria observed to fall 

 Jjelow the normal when exposed to sea-water 

 containing anesthetic except after prolonged 

 exposure to high concentrations which pro- 

 duced death. 



SUMMARY 



When Laminaria is exposed to the action 

 of anesthetics (in sufficient concentration to 

 produce any result) there is an increase in 

 respiration. This may be followed by a de- 

 crease if the reagent is sufficiently toxic. 'No 

 decrease is observed with low concentrations 

 which are not toxic. 



These facts contradict the theory of Ver- 

 worn that anesthesia is a kind of asphyxia, 

 for his view is based upon the assumption that 

 anesthetics decrease respiration. 



A. E. C. Haas 



Laboeatoky of Plant Physiology, 



HaEVAED IjNrVEESITY 



AN OUTLINE OF THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE 

 CLOTHES MOTH, TINEOLA BISELLIELLA 



Some four years ago the writer was asked by 

 Mr. Walter S. Kupper and Mr. J. K. Hewlett, 

 of New York City, to undertake an investiga- 

 tion of clothes moths for the purpose of gath- 

 ering information which would help solve the 

 problem of moth-prooiing ordinary woolen fab- 

 rics. At that time and at present, the only 



■original information available consisted of dis- 

 connected observations, mainly concerned with 

 the case-forming clothes moth. Tinea. In con- 

 nection with the study which followed, hun- 

 dreds of pounds of fur and old woolen rags 

 were purchased, the moth larvae painstakingly 

 picked out, and the rags then sold back or 

 thrown away. One lot of eighteen hundred 

 pounds of old rags was purchased at one time. 

 From these several thousand larvse of Tineola 

 was picked out by boys employed for that pur- 

 pose, and placed on test cloths which had been 

 treated with various chemicals in the hope of 

 finding one which would prevent moth ravages. 

 Two trunksful of fur garments were obtained 

 from the Salvation Army stores. Two hun- 

 dred pounds of blown fur were 'purchased from 

 a firm which prepares rabbit fur for the hatter's 

 trade. 



The yellow clothes moth, Tineola hiselliella, 

 was the only moth found in all this material 

 during a period of four years. This seems 

 strange, especially in view of the fact that the 

 rag material had been shipped to ISTew Tork 

 from all parts of the country, the large bale of 

 cloth above mentioned having come from the 

 south and consisting of dirty cast-off clothing 

 from that region. About three specimens of 

 the spotted clothes moth. Tinea, were caught 

 fiying about the house in the Bronx, New York 

 City, in which the study was at first carried 

 on, but the circumstances indicated that they 

 were adventitious, and in no way connected 

 with the supply of Tineola fur of which only 

 a few cardboard boxes were present at that 

 time. The conclusion would seem inevitable 

 that in the region of New York City, at least. 

 Tinea is of comparatively rare occurrence and 

 that the extensive damage which is done in 

 connection with the fur and woolen trades is 

 due almost entirely to the other species. Both 

 the black and the Buffalo carpet beetles were 

 found invariably in each supply of moth ma- 

 terial, but in comparatively small numbers. 

 A much larger unidentified beetle occurred in 

 great numbers in the supply of blown hat fur 

 and rabbit skins which had their source in 

 Australia. 



Life History. — Mature moths were found 



