217 



Chapter XII. 



Clothes-Moth, and other Tent-making Caterpillars.— Leaf 

 and Bark-Miners. 



There are at least five different species of moths 

 similar in manners and economy, the caterpillars of 

 which feed upon animal substances, such as furs 

 woollen cloths, silk, leather, and, what to the natu- 

 ralist is no less vexing, upon the specimens of insects 

 and other animals preserved in his cabinet. The 

 moths in question are of the family named Tinea by 

 entomologists, sucli as the tapestry-moth {Tinea ta- 

 petzella), the fur-moth (Tinea pellionella), the wool- 

 moth (Tinea vestianella), the cabinet-moth (Tinea 

 destructor, Stephens), &c. 



The moths themselves are, in the winged state, 

 small, and well fitted for making their way through 

 the most minute hole or chink, so that it is scarcely 

 possible to exclude them by the closeness of a ward- 

 robe or a cabinet.* If they cannot effect an entrance 

 when a drawer is out, or a door open, they will con- 

 trive to glide through the key-hole; and if they once 

 get in, it is no easy matter to dislodge or destroy 

 them, for they are exceedingly agile, and escape out 

 of sight in a moment. Moufet is of opinion that the 

 ancients possessed an effectual method of preserving 

 stuffs from the moth, because the robes of Servius 

 Tullius were preserved up to the death of Scjanus, 

 a period of more than five hundred years. On turning 

 to Pliny to learn this secret, we find him relating that 

 stuff laid upon a coffin will be ever after safe from 

 motlis ; in the same way as a person once stung by a 



* See (ig. d. p. 221. 



