ladies’ department. 
33 
Cables’ department 
NATURAL HISTORY OF THE CHINCHE. 
Old Lady’s Diary. —Whilst travelling this 
summer, ray attention was frequently caljed to the 
Subject of bed-bugs (Cirhex lectularius), and as often 
astonished at the general ignorance on the subject 
of their natural history, and the best means of rid¬ 
ding chambers of the disgusting torment, I natu¬ 
rally turned to the pages of my Diary, from which 
I extract the following for the benefit of house¬ 
keepers on the highways. 
Nov. 1st .—-1 have spent this day in rummaging 
over all the volumes treating on Entomology within 
my reach, in search of the true history of the bed¬ 
bug, and by Comparing their various accounts with 
my notes taken at different dates, am enabled to 
compile the following history :—Bed-bugs, like 
other insects, undergo three changes, but they re¬ 
tain nearly the same form in all their stages; for 
the only transformation to which they are subject, 
from the young to the adult, state, is occasioned by 
the gradual development of their wing-covers and 
wings (technically so called), and the growth of 
their bodies, which makes it necessary for them 
repeatedly to throw off their skins, to allow of their 
increase of size. They are eleven weeks in arriv¬ 
ing at maturity. Young, half-grown, and mature, 
all live in the same way, and all are equally active. 
Their wings are extremely small, and appear like 
minute scales on either side, without any apparent 
use. The eggs of these insects are white, and of 
an oval form, slightly narrowed at one end, and ter¬ 
minated by a cap which breaks off when the young 
escape. The latter are very small, white, and 
transparent, so that the blood can be seen through 
the body. In this state their heads are much 
broader than when mature. The female deposits 
her eggs in unmolested places such as cracks in the 
wall, and the joints of bedsteads, where they re¬ 
main a longer or shorter time, according to the 
temperature of the weather. In a favorable season, 
eight or ten days are sufficient to hatch them, but if 
in a cold place they will remain all winter unhatch¬ 
ed. They live a whole year, and during winter 
hide themselves in secret cracks, as near their food 
as possible ; and are recalled to life and activity by 
returning warmth. 
Naturalists agree in their being natives of Ame¬ 
rican pine forests, and it is said they feed on the 
sap of that wood ; it is certain that they swarm in 
deal timber emplo)md in building houses. Swal¬ 
lows, pigeons, and bats, are infested with them, as 
well as two or three species of bugs that more par¬ 
ticularly belong to them. It is believed by many 
that they will feed on each other, when pressed by 
hunger, but this mistake arises from their cast-off 
skins being found in such numbers. 
It is an interesting and curious fact that they 
were not known in England until about the year 
1503, when, it is recorded by Mouffet, that two 
noblemen were so alarmed by the appearance of 
bug bites upon them, that they sent for a physician, 
believing they had symptoms of the plague ; but 
their fears were turned to mirth and laughter, when 
shown the living cause of their distress. Disgusting 
and troublesome as they are, they appear to have 
created more alarm than mischief in England on 
their first appearance, as their name implies ; their 
original name, says Kirby, “ was chinche, or wall- 
louse, and the term bug, which is a Celtic word, 
signifying a ghost or goblin, was applied to them 
after Ray’s time, most probably because they were 
considered terrors by night.” [It is said that these 
insects will not survive in the climate of Ireland.] 
Boiling water is the best and cleanest remedy, as it 
not only kills all that it touches, both insect and 
egg, but assists in hatching the eggs that are suffi¬ 
ciently near to be affected by the heat; these in 
their turn maybe killed by a second application, 
which purifies the infested places. When the bed¬ 
steads are thoroughly cleansed with boiling water, 
mercurial ointment, corrosive sublimate, or common 
bar soap, placed in their haunts, will prevent their 
return. Should the walls of the rooms be infested, 
pieces of white rag dipped in whitewash and care¬ 
fully plastered over the holes and cracks, will 
effectually prevent their escape; this, too, is a good 
method of covering cracks and breaks in plastered 
walls, and a coat of white-wash over the cloth, will 
conceal both cloth and crack. Should a room be 
hopelessly infested with bugs, remove the furniture, 
and fumigate for one or tw r o days with brimstone; 
this has proved effectual when all other remedies 
have failed. Fall cleaning, scalding, and white¬ 
washing, is highly desirable, as it kills the mother 
bugs before they retire for the winter. Fall white¬ 
washing is to be recommended on many accounts, 
the lime being not only a great beautifier, but it is 
equally a purifier, and destroys the whole army of 
household pests, such as bugs, spiders, moths, 
slugs, and flies, that are equally tormenting and 
disgusting. 
How to Cleanse Furniture .—Oil rubbed over 
varnish, when discolored by water, will restore the 
color and polish. I must remember to tell this to 
Betsey, as she scolds terribly at the hot water spoil¬ 
ing the varnished bedsteads; if the oil don’t suc¬ 
ceed, a little varnish will, but the hot water must 
be used. Betsey and I have had a long talk about 
the best method of cleaning furniture, and the fol¬ 
lowing recipes are decided on as the best. Varnish^ 
ed furniture should be nicely washed with warm 
soap-suds on a very soft cloth, and wiped perfectly 
dry with a fine soft towel; and then polished with 
a little sweet oil, rubbed on and carefully wiped off 
again with a silk handkerchief. Mahogany furni¬ 
ture must be kept perfectly clean, or it bespeaks 
bad housekeeping. Should it become mouldy or 
otherwise soiled, wash it clean with warm soap 
and water, then polish by rubbing on a paste made 
of equal parts of beeswax, soft soap, and spirits of 
turpentine melted together; when this is well 
rubbed in, spread on a thin coat of hard beeswax, 
let this be thoroughly rubbed in with a hard brush, 
and then polish with a silk handkerchief. 
To take Spots from Leather Gloves. —Suspend 
them in a jar over the strongest liquid ammonia 
(hartshorn). The fumes alone will remove the 
spots; be very careful not to let the liquid touch the 
gloves, or it will leave a mark even more unsightly 
! than the spot it has removed. 
