191 



Tliompsou, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, to the Houorable Commissioner of 

 Agriculture, September 18, 1888. 



Eeply. — The letter from Mr, B. A. Colonna, introducing Mr. Hergesheiraer, accom- 

 panied by drawing of map injured by insects, and referred by you to this Department, 

 has bejn received and referred to the Entomologist. He replies as follows: 



"The drawing injured is that of a map made on tracing cloth, the lines of red, blue, 

 and green pigment having been eaten as well as patches in places not touched by ink. 

 This injury has been done by the Croton Bug, Ectohia germanica. These insects are 

 well known to attack anything that has any paste in its make-up. As a remedy for 

 them use the Pyrethrum powder or California Bnhach. It should be sprinkled wher- 

 ever the roaches run, and on them if possible. The best time to do this is in the even- 

 ing, so that the application will be made just before they begin to run. * * If this 

 remedy is used thoroughly and persistently it will surely afford relief. * * This 

 and the large species, Periplaneta americana, were investigated and reported upon 

 in the Treasury by this Division in May last. * *" — [F. C. Nesbit, Acting Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture, to Hon. Hugh S. Thompson, Assistant Secretary of the Treas- 

 ury, September 19, 1838.] 



Beetles supposed to have been passed by a Patient. 



The five iusects sent herewith seem to me to be three different kinds of beetles. 

 History: They were sent to me by a reputable physician of southern Illinois. He 

 says they were found in the stools of a patient— a lad working on a farm ; that this 

 is the third time that they have been found ; that they followed the administration 

 of a saline cathartic. Please name for me, give their habits, etc., and I shall be 

 under many new obligations. — [J- M. Shaffer, M. D., Physician to Board of Health, 

 Keokuk, Iowa, August 31, 1888. 



Eeply. — Yours of the 31st ultimo, with specimens of beetles supposed to have been 

 passed by a farm boy in southern Illinois, has at last come to hand. ^ * ^ ^}je 

 beetles are of three different species, viz, Onthophagus Jiecate, 0. pennsylvanicus, and 

 Aphodius granarius. These beetles are all found in manure and dung of different ani- 

 mals, and I consider that, without question, they must have entered the stools of the 

 boy after the latter had been passed. It is very unlikely that he passed the insects 

 themselves. — [September 18, 1888.] 



A Tineid on Carpets in Texas. 



I have sent you by this mail a small box containing some kind of a bug ; I do not 

 know much about them. In the first place, I live in a rock house (my reason for tell- 

 ing that is because I never saw them in a wooden one). They are to be found along 

 the edges of carpets, on the furniture generally, as though eating the veneer ; their 

 favorite haunt is in and around the fire-place ; they also go up the chimney in large 

 numbers. What are they? — [David Hampton, Burnet, Tex., October 6, 1888. 



Eeply. — * * * These insects are very interesting and are new to our collection 

 here. They are cloth-feeding Tineids, but the species we can not determine until we 

 have reared the moth. Can you not send another supply of specimens ? You do not 

 mention whether they seem to do any damage to your carpets, and I wish that you 

 would inform us on that point. Please send a large lot of specimens before you begin 

 to destroy them, and you can probably kill them easiest by a free use of California 

 Buhach.— [ October 22, 1888. ] 



Leaf-stripping Ants in Arizona. 



Can you give me any information that will help me to destroy the leaf-eating 

 ants? They are very thick on my ranch, and I don't know what to do to get rid of 

 them. It seems impossible to kill them in the ground. They are a medium-sized red 



