﻿[15] 
  The 
  New 
  Carpet 
  -Bug 
  — 
  Anthrentjs 
  scrophulari^. 
  ]27 
  

  

  II. 
  THE 
  NEW 
  CARPET-BUG 
  — 
  ANTHRENUS 
  SCR0PHULARIJ1. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  1874, 
  notices 
  appeared 
  in 
  various 
  

   newspapers 
  of 
  the 
  ravages 
  of 
  a 
  carpet-bug, 
  quite 
  different 
  in 
  its 
  

   appearance 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  its 
  depredations 
  from 
  the 
  

   well-known 
  carpet-moth, 
  Tinea 
  tajpetzella 
  > 
  which 
  for 
  so 
  long 
  a 
  

   time 
  had 
  been 
  the 
  only 
  known 
  insect 
  depredator 
  on 
  our 
  carpets. 
  

  

  Its 
  lidbitat 
  was 
  stated 
  to 
  be 
  beneath 
  the 
  borders 
  of 
  carpets 
  

   where 
  nailed 
  to 
  the 
  floor, 
  eating 
  in 
  those 
  portions 
  numerous 
  

   holes 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  diameter. 
  Occasionally 
  it 
  located 
  

   itself 
  in 
  the 
  crevices 
  left 
  by 
  the 
  joinings 
  of 
  the 
  floor, 
  following 
  

   which, 
  entire 
  breadths 
  of 
  carpet 
  would 
  be 
  cut 
  across 
  as 
  by 
  

   scissors. 
  In 
  several 
  instances 
  carpets 
  had 
  been 
  destroyed 
  — 
  

   new 
  ones 
  as 
  readily 
  as 
  older 
  — 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  questioned 
  whether 
  

   their 
  use 
  could 
  be 
  continued, 
  in 
  view 
  of 
  a 
  prospective 
  increase 
  

   of 
  the 
  alarming 
  ravages. 
  

  

  The 
  insect 
  was 
  new 
  to 
  every 
  one, 
  and 
  no 
  one 
  could 
  form 
  a 
  

   rational 
  conjecture 
  as 
  to 
  what 
  order 
  of 
  the 
  Insecta 
  it 
  belonged. 
  

   It 
  was 
  described 
  as 
  a 
  small 
  ovate 
  object, 
  about 
  one- 
  eighth 
  

   of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  length, 
  thickly 
  clothed 
  with 
  numerous 
  short 
  

   bristle-like 
  hairs, 
  and 
  terminating 
  in 
  a 
  pencil 
  of 
  these, 
  form- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  tail. 
  It 
  was 
  exceedingly 
  active 
  in 
  its 
  motions, 
  and 
  

   when 
  disturbed 
  in 
  its 
  concealment 
  would 
  glide 
  away 
  beneath 
  

   the 
  base-boards 
  or 
  some 
  other 
  convenient 
  crevice 
  so 
  quickly 
  

   as 
  in 
  most 
  instances 
  to 
  elude 
  capture 
  for 
  its 
  closer 
  inspection. 
  

   They 
  were 
  found 
  only 
  during 
  the 
  summer 
  months. 
  

  

  In 
  1876 
  it 
  was 
  reported 
  in 
  many 
  dwellings 
  in 
  Schenectady, 
  

   and 
  in 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  July 
  examples 
  of 
  it, 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  time, 
  

   came 
  under 
  my 
  observation, 
  taken, 
  upon 
  search 
  having 
  been 
  

   instituted, 
  under 
  the 
  carpets 
  of 
  my 
  residence 
  at 
  Schenectady, 
  

   where 
  its 
  presence 
  had 
  not 
  been 
  suspected. 
  It 
  was 
  evident, 
  on 
  

   the 
  first 
  inspection, 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  larva 
  of 
  a 
  beetle, 
  and 
  in 
  

   all 
  probability 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  very 
  destructive 
  family 
  of 
  

   Dermestidje, 
  which 
  comprises 
  several 
  of 
  our 
  most 
  injurious 
  

   depredators 
  on 
  animal 
  substances. 
  

  

  A 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  larvae 
  were 
  secured 
  and 
  fed 
  upon 
  pieces 
  of 
  

   carpet 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  rear 
  them. 
  In 
  September 
  they 
  had 
  evi- 
  

  

  