PLOT Eo CCKN XE. 39 
SPECIFICVCHARACTER 
AND 
SYNONYMS. 
Black : a white {pot on each wing-cafe. 
DERMESTES PeLtio; niger elytris punéto albo. Lin. Syft. Nat. 
2. 563.—Fn. Sv. 411. 
DerMEsTEs Pexirio. Fab. Ent. Syft. 1. p. 228. 5. 
Ola info, OO Vs VOstabren fle. 11, 
Scheff. Icon. tab, 42. fig. 4s 
nar 
A very common and deftru€tive creature. It infinuates itfelf into 
all kinds of fur, or the dried fkins of animals; and in the ftate of 
larva, injures them confiderably. The larve of this tribe of Infe&s 
foon become very numerous where they are fuffered to breed: they 
enter into and deflroy furniture, cloathing, and dried food of all 
kinds. Some fpecies are found feeding upon the carcafes of animals ; 
while others, more tenacious of life, penetrate harder fubftances, 
and refift the verdigreafe, mufk, arfenic, and other drying or corrofive 
fubftances, that effeétually deftroy moft Infe€ts. One or two {pecies 
are in particular much to be dreaded by Colleétors of Natural 
Curiofities ; they perforate the cabinet, or cafe, an dwhen the larva 
are hatched, commit va{t depredation. In colleétions of preferved 
animals, birds, infects, and plants in particular, they do great mifchiet. 
Fa FIG. 
