CARE OF A COLLECTION 



83 



ping the skin with the fingers, and in bad cases even whole bundles 

 of plumes come away at a touch. Sometimes, leaving the plumage 

 intact, insects eat away the horny covering of the bill and feet, 

 making an irreparable mutilation. It would appear that when the 

 pests effect lodgment in any one skin, they usually finish it before 

 attacking another, unless they are in great force. We may con- 



PiG. 9. — Anili/renus serophulariis, enlarged ; the short line s 

 Cj pupa; d, imago. 



nat. size, a, &, larvae ; 



Fio. 10.— Dermestes lardarius, FiQ. 11. — Sitodrepa panicea, 

 enlarged, a, larva ; b, an enlarged enlarged, a, imago ; 6, its an- 

 hair ; c, imago, tenna, more enlarged. 



Fro. 12. — PHmis irunrie^is. 



sequently, by prompt removal of an infested specimen, save further 

 depredations ; nevertheless, the rest become suspicious, and the 

 whole drawer or box should be quarantined, if not submitted to 

 any of the processes described beyond. Our lines of defence are 

 several. We may mechanically oppose entrance of the enemy ; we 

 may meet him with abhorrent odours that drive him off, sicken or 

 kill him, and finally we may cook him to death. I will notice 

 these methods successively, taking occasion to describe a cabinet 

 under the first head. 



