﻿132 
  Thirtieth 
  Report 
  on 
  the 
  State 
  Museum., 
  [20] 
  

  

  examples 
  were 
  taken 
  upon 
  the 
  windows 
  of 
  my 
  residence 
  at 
  

   Schenectady. 
  After 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  May, 
  a 
  systematic 
  search 
  

   instituted 
  for 
  them, 
  gave 
  several 
  examples 
  each 
  day. 
  In 
  the 
  

   six 
  days 
  from 
  May 
  17th 
  to 
  22d, 
  forty-four 
  specimens 
  were 
  

   taken 
  from 
  the 
  three 
  windows 
  of 
  two 
  upper 
  rooms. 
  Should 
  

   investigation 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  beetle 
  is 
  drawn 
  to 
  the 
  windows 
  

   before 
  the 
  deposition 
  of 
  its 
  eggs, 
  their 
  ready 
  capture 
  and 
  

   destruction 
  at 
  this 
  time 
  will 
  offer 
  an 
  easy 
  method 
  of 
  prevent- 
  

   ing 
  their 
  increase. 
  

  

  Should 
  this 
  insect 
  continue 
  to 
  increase 
  until 
  its 
  complete 
  

   naturalization 
  shall 
  make 
  it 
  as 
  common 
  as 
  A. 
  varius 
  (a 
  dozen 
  

   or 
  more 
  of 
  which 
  may 
  sometimes 
  be 
  seen 
  feeding 
  on 
  a 
  single 
  

   flower), 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  conceive 
  how, 
  under 
  such 
  a 
  visita- 
  

   tion, 
  the 
  comfort 
  of 
  carpets 
  can 
  still 
  be 
  indulged 
  in 
  within 
  our 
  

   homes. 
  Even 
  now, 
  when 
  it 
  has 
  barely 
  commenced 
  its 
  rav- 
  

   ages, 
  it 
  is 
  reported 
  as 
  having 
  inflicted 
  very 
  serious 
  pecuniary 
  

   losses 
  in 
  several 
  instances, 
  where 
  carpets 
  have 
  been 
  entirely 
  

   ruined 
  ; 
  and 
  such 
  terror 
  has 
  its 
  presence 
  imparted, 
  that 
  not 
  

   a 
  few 
  prudent 
  housekeepers 
  have 
  already 
  abandoned 
  the 
  cus- 
  

   tomary 
  nailing 
  of 
  their 
  carpets 
  to 
  the 
  floor, 
  that 
  frequent 
  

   examinations 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  during 
  the 
  summer 
  months 
  for 
  

   the 
  discovery 
  and 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  unwelcome 
  guest. 
  

  

  The 
  remarkable 
  invasion 
  of 
  a 
  dwelling 
  in 
  Cold 
  Spring, 
  

   N. 
  Y., 
  in 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  1874, 
  after 
  a 
  twelve 
  months' 
  absence 
  

   of 
  the 
  family 
  in 
  Europe, 
  was 
  by 
  a 
  larva 
  of 
  Anthrenus 
  (as 
  de- 
  

   termined 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Packard), 
  which 
  is 
  now 
  believed 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   this 
  species. 
  According 
  to 
  the 
  statement 
  made, 
  " 
  they 
  took 
  

   complete 
  possession, 
  from 
  the 
  cellar 
  to 
  the 
  attic, 
  in 
  every 
  nook 
  

   and 
  crevice 
  of 
  the 
  floors, 
  under 
  matting 
  and 
  carpets, 
  behind 
  

   pictures, 
  and 
  eating 
  every 
  thing 
  in 
  their 
  way." 
  From 
  this 
  

   account 
  we 
  may 
  infer 
  an 
  almost 
  incalculable 
  capability 
  of 
  

   increase 
  if 
  left 
  to 
  itself, 
  and 
  draw 
  the 
  lesson 
  of 
  the 
  absolute 
  

   necessity 
  of 
  combatting 
  its 
  invasion 
  by 
  every 
  means 
  in 
  our 
  

   power. 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  unquestionably 
  prove 
  an 
  exceedingly 
  difficult 
  pest 
  

   to 
  dislodge. 
  The 
  ordinary 
  applications 
  of 
  camphor, 
  pepper, 
  

   tobacco, 
  turpentine, 
  carbolic 
  acid, 
  etc., 
  are 
  powerless 
  against 
  

   it. 
  It 
  has 
  even 
  been 
  asserted 
  that 
  it 
  "grows 
  fat" 
  on 
  these 
  

   substances. 
  An 
  effectual 
  means 
  of 
  destruction, 
  and 
  prevent- 
  

   ive 
  against 
  new 
  invasions, 
  is 
  still 
  to 
  be 
  discovered. 
  The 
  free 
  

   use 
  of 
  benzine 
  has 
  been 
  recommended 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  our 
  journals, 
  

   to 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  saturation 
  of 
  cotton, 
  with 
  which 
  to 
  fill 
  the 
  

  

  