540 
THE STUDY OF INSECTS .. 
enters wardrobes and destroys clothing. The adult is a 
pretty little beetle which may be found in infested houses, 
in the spring, on the ceilings and windows. It is about one 
seventh of an inch in length and clothed with black, white, 
and brick-red scales (Plate I, Fig. i). There is a whitish 
spot on each side of the prothorax, and three irregular, 
whitish spots on the outer margin of each wing-cover ; along 
the suture where the two wing-covers meet there is a band 
of brick-red scales, which is widened in several places. It is 
worth while to learn to know this beetle; for a Lady-bug 
(Plate I, Fig. 3), which often winters in our houses, is fre¬ 
quently mistaken for it. The Carpet Beetle in its adult 
state feeds on the pollen of flowers. Sometimes it abounds 
on the blossoms of currant, cherry, and other fruits. The 
best way to avoid the ravages of this pest is to use rugs in¬ 
stead of carpets, and to trap the larvae by placing woollen 
cloths on the floors of closets. By shaking such cloths 
over a paper once a week the larvae can be captured. 
The change from carpets to rugs is a very desirable one-, 
for carpets that are tacked to the floor and taken up only 
once or twice a year are unwholesome. The change need 
not be a very expensive one. As carpets wear out they 
may be replaced with rugs; and good carpets can be made 
over into rugs. If the floors are not polished as is usually 
the case where it was planned to cover them with carpets, 
they can be made presentable by filling the cracks with 
putty and painting the boards where they are to be exposed. 
The museum pests, Antkrenus varius (An-thre'nus va'- 
ri-us) and Antkrenus museorum (A. mu-se-o'rum).—There 
are two minute species of this family that are a constant 
source of annoyance to those having collections of insects. 
The adult beetles measure less than one eighth of an inch 
in length, and are very convex. They deposit their eggs on 
specimens in our collections ; and the larvae feed upon the 
specimens, often destroying them. In order to preserve a 
collection of insects it is necessary that they should be kept 
