56 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Silver Fish, Bristle Tail or Fish Moth^^ 



This peculiar, elusive insect is frequently the subject of inquiry 

 by careful housekeepers. It is rather common about houses though 

 rarely seen. It is about three-eighths of an inch long, silvery gray 

 and tapering. Perfect specimens have very long antennae and 

 three equally long appendages at the posterior extremity. 



Habits. This insect feeds upon nitrogenous or farinaceous mat- 

 ter such as the sizing of paper, starch, paste etc. It has even been 

 known to eat oft" the faces of museum labels to such an extent as to 

 render them illegible. It thrives best in places where there is com- 

 paratively little disturbance and is therefore rarely numerous in 

 houses having few crevices and no storeroom where articles are 

 allowed to remain undisturbed for months or even years" at a time. 



Control measures. This insect, if abundant, can be controlled 

 to best advantage, according to Mr ]\Iarlatt, by slipping into their 

 haunts pieces of paper liberally treated with a thick, boiled, starchy. 

 preferably nitrogenous, paste poisoned with arsenic. This material 

 should be used with extreme care and placed only where there 

 is no danger of children getting hold of the poison. Ordinarily 

 the dusting of this insect's haunts with fresh pyrethrum powder, 

 followed by thorough cleaning, is preferable to the employment of 

 an arsenical poison. Damage is most likely to occur in compara- 

 tively moist places or where articles are allowed to remain undis- 

 turbed for a year or more. 



Book Louse 



This is a pale louselike insect^^ only one-twenty-fifth of an inch 

 long and frequently designated as the *' death watch " because of 

 the peculiar ticking sound it makes. This latter is supposed to 

 predict an early death in the family. An allied species^^ has similar 

 habits and is considered to be the true " death watch." Both of 

 these species, as well as allied forms, live upon vegetable matter 

 and occasionally may become very abundant. There have been 

 several records of this insect issuing in enormous numbers from 

 mattresses stuffed with hair, corn husks or straw. An infestation 

 of this kind can be controlled best by removing and burning the 

 infested mattress. The apartment then should be thoroughly 

 cleaned. 



^^Lepisma domestica Pack. 

 '^oAtropos divinatoria Fabr. 

 GiClothilla pulsatoria Linn. 



