THE CLOTHES-MOTH. 427 
son, fluttering with a noiseless, stealthy flight in our apart- 
ments, and laying their eggs in our woollens. 
There are several allied species which have much the 
same habits, except that they do not all construct cases, 
but eat carpets, clothing, articles of food, grain, etc., and 
objects of natural history. 
Successive broods of the Clothes-moth appear through 
the summer. In the autumn they cease eating, retire 
within their cases, and early in spring assume the chrys- 
alis state. 
Careful housewives are not much afflicted with these — 
pests. The slovenly and thriftless are overrun with them. 
Early in June woollens and furs should be carefully dusted, 
shaken, and beaten. Dr.T. W. Harris states that “pow- 
dered black pepper, strewed under the edge of carpets, is 
said to repel moths. Sheets of paper sprinkled with 
Spirits of turpentine, camphor in coarse powder, leaves 
of tobacco, or shavings of Russia leather, should be 
placed. among the clothes when they are laid aside for 
the summer ; and furs and other small articles can be kept 
by being sewed in bags with bits of camphor wood, ~ 
red cedar, or of Spanish cedar; while the cloth lining of 
carriages can be secured forever from the attacks of 
moths by being washed or sponged on both sides with a 
solution of the corrosive sublimate of mercury in alcohol, 
made just strong enough not to leave a white stain on a 
black feather.” The moths can be most readily killed by 
pouring benzine among them, though its use must 
much restricted from the disagreeable odor which remains. 
The recent experiments made with Carbolic acid, how- 
ever, convinces us that this will soon take the place of 
all other substances as a preventive and destroyer of nox- 
ious insects. 
