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of regulating the temperature of the water discharged. A blowpipe, run 
through a rubber cork that is inserted in the nozzle of the faucet, provides 
a stream of small diameter adjustable as to velocity. Another blowpipe, 
inserted in the end of a rubber hose connected with the compressed air line, 
is so arranged that its outlet can be brought near the outlet for water. 
The rinsing in the air and water completes the cleaning operation. The 
specimens are placed in small pill boxes to dry, and after 24 hours they are 
put in vials and are ready to be sent to the cataloguing room. 
Certain precautions must be taken: (1) the tags must be of parch- 
ment or water-resistant fibre composition and the data must be written with 
ink that will withstand submersion in water and ammonia; (2) skulls that 
have large porous tympanic bullae filled with blood, and skulls of very young 
individuals, should be dry when put in the “bug-room” and should be 
exposed to a limited number of "bugs”. 
In conclusion it can be said that by use of the dermestids one worker 
can clean, thoroughly and without the slightest damage to the most delicate 
processes, many times the number of specimens he can complete with any 
other known method. Processes are not broken off; delicate structures are 
not destroyed; teeth do not fall out; enough non-greasy animal matter 
remains in the bone to prevent deterioration; and sutures do not gape even 
in young specimens. All these are advantages over cooking. The preparator 
using this process may clean up to 100 and even 200 skulls per day. Also, 
the employment of compressed air as a substitute for instruments is an 
improvement which can not be too highly recommended. 
E. R. Kalmbach, in charge of Food Habits Research Laboratory, 
Bureau of Biological Survey, Denver, wrote that “We have found that in 
the case of three of the five workers here a noticeable irritation to membranes 
of the nasal passage and even the skin when the dust-laden material of 
our ‘bug-house' is being handled. In one instance the irritation took the 
form of an asthma and caused us to resort to respirators placed over the 
nose while working with the specimens before they are treated with ammonia 
and peroxide. It appears that the finely barbed hairs on the larval sheds 
of these insects causes this irritation .... Our work is done entirely with 
the large forms of the genus Dermestes . . . .When the colony is watched 
so that the normal food supply is not completely consumed, we have had 
no trouble in this direction (larva> feeding injuriously on delicate bones), 
and such bones as the ribs of hummingbirds and the digits in bat wings 
come through uninjured." 
Borell (1938, pages 102-103) states that many collectors have not 
appreciated the efficiency of dermestids for cleaning small collections of 
skulls and skeletons when no special facilities are available. While doing 
field work in Texas a number of dermestes were obtained from an old 
coyote carcass and the dried feet of a cow. These were put into 2-pound 
coffee cans and the small mammal skulls on hand were placed in the cans 
between layers of cotton. As more skulls were acquired they were placed 
in the cans with additional layers of cotton. When he was ready to leave the 
field the cans were fitted with light covers and brought to the office by car. 
Upon arrival the contents of the small cans were transferred to a 3-gallon 
bread tin with a tight-fitting lid. Such a closed metal container was neces- 
sary to prevent the beetles from escaping into the building. Although in a 
tin can, with little or no fresh air for over 4 months, the beetles are still 
