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18 78] The New Carpet Beetle—Anthrenus Scrophularia. 537 
cealment 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 Dermestide, 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 evidently 
matured, and had assumed their quiescent pupal state within the 
skin of the larva, first rent by a split along the back for the 
escape of the perfect insect. At this stage they presented char- 
acters which led me to refer them, in all probability, to the genus 
Anthrenus. 
In October, the first perfect insect emerged. Being entirely 
new to me, they were sent to Dr. LeConte, the distinguished 
coleopterist of Philadelphia, for determination. He returned 
answer that they were the Anthrenus scrophularie Linn —a spe- 
cies well known in Europe for its destructiveness, but now for | 
the first time detected in this country 
Notice of the discovery was communicated by me to the 
Albany Institute at its meeting of October 17, 1876, and a report 
of the same published in the A/éany Argus of October 21st. 
Owing to the interest attached to the introduction in our country 
of another addition to the already formidable list of injurious 
insects of European origin, the paper, or extracts therefrom, 
appeared in several of the journals of this and adjoining States. 
Through the publicity given it, I became informed of the pres- 
ence of the insect in many localities in New York and other 
States. Examples of a beetle, believed to conform to the brief 
description which I had given of A. scrophularig, and known to 
: _ possess the like habit of feeding upon carpets, were sent to me ae 
by Mr. A. S. Fuller of the Rural New-Yorker, for eee a 
The species had been in his cabinet for some time, under tl 
name of Anthrenus ssn LeConte, ming received the first 2 
