Reports to the Board of Agriculture. 45 
Insects and Mites in Furniture. 
Some furniture and household pests sent by a correspondent of 
the Board from Whitchurch, Glamorganshire, proved to be two species. 
They were (i) the so-called “ Death Watch ” (. Atropos divinatoria ) — 
the same name is given to certain furniture beetles, Anobium tessel- 
lation, etc. — and (ii) Mites belonging to the genus Glyciphagus, and 
were G. domestieus, De Geer, the Glyciphagus cursor, Gerv. Speci- 
mens have been sent to A. Michael, Esq. for identification. They 
are both best destroyed by fumigation. Sulphur is usually employed, 
but if both the pests are particularly abundant the rooms should be 
fumigated with hydrocyanic acid gas as well. Rooms should be 
well brushed down and the floors washed with soft-soap and water. 
Books, etc., which harbour the Atropos should be subjected to the 
fumes of benzine in closed boxes. Fumigation with sulphur answers 
best for the mites, but is not so effective upon the Atropos, hence 
hydrocyanic gas is mentioned. (A full report on household mites 
is given on page 120.) 
SUB-GROUP C. FOOD. 
I. The Larder Beetle. 
{Dermestes lardarius, L.) 
Some insects sent by Mr. Edgar J. Lewis to the Board of 
Agriculture, and which had been attacking and causing damage 
to winter-cured bacon, proved to be the Larder beetle ( Dermestes 
lardarius). This insect is common to North America, Europe, and 
Asia. It attacks not only bacon and hams, but cheese, horns, 
skins, feathers, hair, silk and other dry goods. Fresh hams and 
bacon are not so liable to be attacked as those that are slightly 
tainted, improperly cured or injured in any way. The beetles are 
very disposed to lay their eggs in any crevice, and have probably 
done so in this case where the muslin bags are sewn up. The larvae 
are very minute when first hatched and can easily penetrate muslin 
unless it is very fine. The larvae as they mature bury themselves in 
the bacon, but at first they feed on the exterior. 
Treatment. 
Bacon is best hung as is sometimes done in America, in thin 
paper bags, care being taken that all crevices are closed, or else the 
