1878.] 57 [Hagen. 
half the share of all destruction ascribed to the “ Carpet bug.” In 
the arranged collection of the Museum it occurs only rarely, and I 
have always found out the crack or small split in the box through 
which the very thin and slender young larva entered. The insect is 
to be recognized by the small globular ochreous excrements. I con- 
sider this species one of the most dangerous pests, and keep very 
careful watch for it. 
The other species of Attagenus, A. pellio, I have seen only two or 
three times alive in my work room, probably from insevts arrived 
from Europe, where it is much more obnoxious and common than 
A. megatoma. 
The genus Anthrenus is represented by three species, all equally 
dangerous, but not equally common. 
The European A. museorum (castanee Melsh.) is apparently very 
rare here in collections of insects. I should say that i am even not 
sure if the specimens I saw in the boxes were not imported with 
European insects. 
The other species, A. varius (destructor Melsh.) is the most com- 
mon pest in the collection, especially in new additions, or in newly 
spread insects, when the boards are not directly put in well closing 
boxes. 
It is remarkable that A. varius, which is by no means uncommon 
in Europe, is there rarely met as a museum pest, and is replaced in 
Europe by A. museorum, which is here rarely injurious. 
A third species, A. scrophularie, the “ carpet bug,” has only been 
known to me since 1872 as an inhabitant of New England, and only 
for the last three or four years as a museum pest. It is now nearly 
as common as A. varius, and certainly more dangerous. ‘The excre- 
ments of the Anthrenide consist of very fine light brown globules, 
not easily distinguished from the yellow ones of A. meyatoma. 
In studying somewhat closer the Anthrenidz of the United States, 
I should like to draw the attention of Coleopterists to A. thoracicus. 
It isin some respects similar to the European pimpinelle, and the 
difference between the two species is not yet clearly given. Dr. 
LeConte says simply,— differs from A. pimpinelle by the orange col- 
ored suture of the elytra. Now it happens that the two typical Euro- 
pean specimens of A. pimpinelle in the collection have both a very 
visible orange suture. I looked therefore in the literature, and was 
still more puzzled to find that all authors, upon the accuracy of whose 
descriptions we are accustomed to rely, do not mention at all the 
