THE JOURNAL 



OF 



THE LINNEAN SOCIETY. 



(ZOOLOGY.) 



A Contribution to the Physiology of the Museum Beetle, Anthrenus 

 museorum (Linn.). By Alfred J. Ewart, D.Sc, Ph.D., F.L.S., 

 Professor of Botany in the University of Melbourne and Government 

 Botanist. 



[Read 6th December, 1906.] 



The larvse of this small beetle have worked terrible havoc in the National 

 Herbarium at Melbourne, and its ravages are only kept in check by placing 

 the portfolios of plants in a chamber impregnated with the vapour of carbon 

 bisulphide for two or three days at regular intervals. This work is continually 

 in progress, so that each plant is subjected to the vapour once a year. 

 Permanent poisoning by mercurial or arsenical poisons is inadvisable on 

 account of the danger to health when large bulks of the dried plants are 

 frequently handled in a dry dust-forming atmosphere. 



Naphthalin, though it may aid in keeping away the adult beetles, has no 

 effect upon the larvae, which were found to be still alive, after remaining for 

 a week in a closed tin box containing a ball of naphthalin. The most remarkable 

 feature about the larvse is of course their power of feeding on dry materials 

 without any apparent supplies of water. It is true that imperfectly dried 

 specimens are most liable to attack, but nevertheless I have found the grubs 

 in an active condition on plants containing slightly less than 9 per cent. 

 (8*8 per cent.) of water. 



LINN. JOURN. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. XXX. 1 



