398 
been (to omit here the white ants, roaches, and springtails) either Sito- 
drepa panicea * or Ptinus fur. 
The iinagos of these species have been frequently figured: regarding 
their larvae it suffices to say that that of Ptinus fur (as well as other 
species of the same genus) is at once distinguished superficially from 
the larva of Nicobium Mrtum by the complete absence of spines on 
the dorsal surface. The larva of Sitodrepa panicea, however, closely 
resembles that of Mcobiuni, but is much smaller and lacks the spines 
on the third thoracic segment. 
Another dangerous library pest in the West Indies is Anobium bib- 
liothe earning so named by Prof. Ph. Poey (Mem. sobre PHist. nat. de 
Cuba, vol. i, 1851, p. 228), some thirty years ago was very destructive 
to the libraries at Havana, Cuba. There can be but little doubt that 
the library pest on the island of Guadeloupe, described by L'Her- 
minier,j: must be referred to the same species. This insect appears to 
a native of the West Indies, and has never been found in North America, 
but if imported with old books or otherwise it may possibly propagate 
in the Southern States. It is of a black color, covered with an 
extremely fine, prostrate, grayish jmbescence, and the wing-covers are 
not striate. This last character will at once distinguish it from all 
other Ptinida3 known to infest libraries. 
In a large library these ptinid beetles are more difficult to deal with 
than one would exj)ect. In the first instance their presence is easily 
overlooked until they have become very numerous, because they prefer- 
ably infest the leather bindings of old volumes which are rarely dis- 
turbed on their shelves § and further because outward signs of their 
work are but little evident. Thus a careful and repeated overhauling 
of the books is necessary to ascertain even the extent of the infestation, 
although we are well aware that in a library containing many thou- 
sands of volumes even a single overhauling is a matter of considerable 
magnitude and expense. Then comes the difficulty in exterminating 
the larvae since by no means all of them can be shaken from the volumes 
during the examination. All infested volumes should be placed in a 
separate, well-closed room, where they should be frequently examined 
or fumigated with bisulphide of carbon in a tight chest. 
* This includes the case reported by Mr. Scudder from the library of the Boston 
Athenaeum (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. x, pp. 13, 14. The scolytid beetle, 
Hypolhenemus eruditus, which was found by Westwood in England injuring the paste- 
board bindings of a book, has never been found in North America under similar 
circumstances, although what is supposed to be the same species is extremely 
abundant with us. 
IDr. LeConte suggested (Library Journ., vol. iv, 1879, p. 374) that this species 
should be referred to the genus Eupactus, and more recently Mr. A. Salle (Ann. 
Soc. Ent. France, 1889, p. 418) places it in the genus Cathorama. 
tAnn. Soc. Ent. France, vol. vi, 1837, pp. 499-502. The species is there named 
Dermestes chinensis but is evidently a ptinid (see Dr. H. A. Hagen's note in Library 
Journ., vol. iv, 1879, p. 374). 
§ " Les livres et les dossiers sommeillant dans les bibliotheques " (Ed. Perris, Larves 
de Col., p. 246). 
