Am-jniy;mirm'}         Insects  Injurious  to  Drugs.  327 
ment  of  Pharmacy,  we  found  this  insect  in  some  roots  of  a  bitter 
character  ;  also,  in  orris  root  and  ginger  root.  It  is  not  improbable 
that  this  insect  may  be  found  attacking  any  drug  containing  starch. 
From  Michigan  (name  of  firm  and  place  of  residence  not  given)  a 
package  of  caraway  was  received  containing  the  larvae  of  some 
beetles.  This  larva  measures  about  7  mm.  in  length,  is  white,  with 
pale  brown  head  and  body  partly  covered  with  short  brown  hairs 
(see  Fig.  7). 
From  C.  L.  Becker  &  Co.,  Ottawa,  Kan.,  three  packages  of  drugs 
injured  by  insects  were  received.  One  of  them  was  a  small  package 
of  foenugreek,  in  which  was  an  insect  very  closely  allied  to  one  fam- 
iliar to  housewives  of  Eastern  States,  the  notorious  "  buffalo  bug." 
Figs.  1, 2  and  3  show  the  adult,  pupa  and  larva  states,  respectively,  of 
this  drug  pest.    It  is  Anthrenus  varius. 
Its  color  is  black  and  white ;  sometimes  the  white  is  tinged  with 
reddish  yellow.  The  adult  insect  lives  chiefly  on  the  pollen  of 
certain  plants,  such  as  the  different  varieties  of  spiraea  and  those  of 
the  shad-bush,  Amelanchier  canadensis.  Indoors  it  not  only  attacks 
carpets,  rugs  and  woollen  goods,  but  also  collections  of  natural 
history,  furs,  hair  and  drugs.  The  larva  is  more  destructive  than 
the  adult  insect. 
The  second  was  a  small  box  of  Indian  turnip.  The  drug  came 
all  right,  but  the  insects  had  cut  a  hole  through  the  side  of  the  box 
and  escaped.  The  third  lot  was  a  package  of  condition  powders  con- 
taining the  brown  insect,  Nicobium  hirtum,  just  described. 
A  box  of  pulverized  marshmallow  was  sent  from  Philadelphia. 
In  it  were  a  number  of  small  brown  beetles.  They  were  1 1  mm. 
long  and  2  mm.  wide.  The  long,  white  larvae  was  in  the  same  box, 
and  these  are  shown  in  Figs.  10  and  11. 
M.  Noll,  Atchison,  Kan.,  sent  an  extract  of  licorice  infected  with 
some  small  white  beetle  larvae  which  is  shown  in  Fig.  6.  From  the 
same  firm  came  a  box  of  almond  meal  in  which  were  a  lot  of  dark 
brown  beetles,  Silvanus  surinamensis .  This  beetle  is  shown  in  Fig.  5, 
and  is  easily  recognized  by  the  serrated  edges  of  the  portion  between 
the  head  and  wings.  Its  long,  narrow  body  and  antennae  enlarged 
at  the  tips.  Figs.  12  and  i/j.  represent  two  phases  in  the  lire  of  a 
moth  of  the  genus  Tinea,  frequently  found  flying  about  among 
drugs.  Fig.  13  shows  a  little  white  mite,  highly  magnified,  and 
seen  as  small  specks  on  cantharides  kept  in  stock. 
