232 Annval Bepori for 1907 of the Zoologist. 
are changed from year to year and the risk to the seedlings minimised, while 
the plants placed in the previously infested ground are strong enough to resist 
any but a very severe attack. 
Mangold and beet are the crops attacked, and even 
Kaltenbach, who has investigated the insects occurring on a 
large number of plants whether of economic importance or 
not, mentions no other food-plant for this beetle. Most of our 
pests, however, are able to maintain themselves on weeds in the 
intervals between the successive appearances of the farm crop 
they attack, and if this is the case with Atomaria we should 
naturally look to the “ goosef oot ” weeds to explain its existence 
when not in evidence on the farm, for these are the nearest 
allies of beet and mangold. Many of them are distinctly 
sea-side plants, and it would be interesting to know whether 
mangolds are attacked more frequently in districts neigh- 
bouring the sea than in those further inland. 
Pests Infesting Buildings and Stored Produce. 
An unusual number of complaints have been received 
during the past year with regard to creatures infesting stored 
produce, or occurring in such numbers as to be a nuisance in 
granaries, out-houses, and dwelling rooms. Samples of stored 
corn were infested by various beetles, including Calandra 
g7'anaria, C. orysce, Sylvanus surinamensis, and Cryptophagus 
hadium., the last probably an accidental visitor, as it is 
commonly found in cellars. Stored food-stuffs contained der- 
mestes lai'darius and Sitodt'epa panicea. The curious “ rat- 
tailed ” grubs of Eristalis tenax were found in cow-sheds in 
such numbers as to cause alarm. A granary was infested by 
bird parasites derived, presumably, from a neighbouring pigeon 
house. A haystack was reported as harbouring incredible 
numbers of the mite Tyroglyphus longio7\ and in other cases 
the allied mites Glyciphagus doinesticus and G. spinipes were 
accused of infesting dwelling rooms and getting into everything 
that could afford the smallest modicum of nutriment. All 
these in addition to such familiar pests as meal-worms, clothes 
moths, cockroaches, and rats and mice. 
Such pests are not of equal importance with those attacking 
growing crops, but they are often the cause of great annoyance 
and no inconsiderable loss. Most of them are good examples 
of the way in which the operations of civilisation disturb the 
balance of nature, for, finding abundance of food and shelter 
provided for them, their habits have been modified, and their 
reproductive powers enormously increased. 
The familiar grain weevil, Calandra granaria, which has 
entirely adapted itself to an indoor life, perforates the 
individual grains of corn with its long proboscis and inserts an 
