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in weight and 75 per cent, of its starchy matter. Incidentially, 
it is rendered totally unfit for food, and bread made from wheat 
infested by (he insect is said to have caused an epidemic 
recently in Prance. The pest was noticed in North Carolina as 
early as 1728, and since that time it has spread all over the 
South. The mother moth lays her eggs in standing grain, and 
after a few days the little caterpillars are hatched out and 
burrow into the kernels. 
Another wicked imported bug is the “rice weevil.” It 
originated in India, whence it has been distributed by commerce 
all over the world. At present it does as much harm as any 
other known insect, being a serious pest in the Southern States 
In the tropics generally it does enormous damage. Formerly 
when long voyages were necessary in importing grain from the 
East, it frequently destroyed whole cargoes, having plenty of 
time to multiply. The adult beetles of this species cause much 
trouble in store houses and groceries by invading boxes of 
crackers, cakes, yeast cakes and macaroni and barrels and bins 
of flour and meal. They can subsist for months on sugar, and 
sometimes they burrow into ripening peaches and grapes. 
A new grain destroyer has recently attracted attention in this 
country, and has earned for itself the title of "scourge of the 
flour mill." It is the “Mediterranean flour moth.” The cater- 
pillars spin webs which make the flour clotted and lumpy, so 
that the machinery in the mills becomes clogged and has to be 
stopped for a considerable time, the result being a loss of 
thousands of dollars in large establishments. The larvae prefer 
flour or meal, but they flourish also in bran, prepared cereal 
food and crackers. Nearly related to this species is another, 
known as the “Indian meal moth." It devours pretty nearly 
everything, feeding on grain and farinaceous products of all 
kinds, dried fruits, seeds and nuts of various sorts, condiments, 
roots and herbs. It even attacks dried insects in cabinets, and 
is said to devour sugar, jellies and yeast cakes. Occasionally 
it is troublesome in beehives, eating the honey. In short, it is 
an all-round nuisance. The caterpillars so often found. in dried 
apples, currants, raisins and English walnuts are the offspring 
of the Indian meal moth. 
During the past year two little beetles, popularly known as 
"flour weevils" have caused much alarm among millers, flour 
and feed dealers, grocers and dealers in patent foods. For a 
long time they have been familiar in Europe as enemies of 
peal, flour, grain and other stored products and even as pests 
in museums. Though they live in grain, they do most damage to 
flour and to patent articles of diet containing starch. The eggs 
are deposited in the flour, and these and the young caterpillars, 
being minute and pale in color, are not noticed. But, after the 
flour has been sealed up in barrels or boxes for a while, the 
adult beetles make their appearance and ruin the food material. 
Furthermore, the insects have a very offensive smell, the pres- 
ence of a few specimens sufficing to impart a disagreeable and 
offensive odor to the substance infested by them. They attack 
snuff, orris-root, baking powder, rice, chaff, red pepper and 
graham flour. 
This subject is considered of such importance that consid- 
erable space was devoted to it in the Year Book of the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture for 1895. The remarks made therein are 
based upon recent study of weevils and their habits by Mr. F. H 
