Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-11-09
A Carpet Pest.

Housekeepers, says the Rochester Express,
may be Interested in learolug that al insect
called the Anthremus >crophul,ra, which de-
YOURS and ruins carpets, has appeared ln such
numbers in Schenectady that the carpets all
over that city have had to be taken up aud
cleaned ln Utica it has caused serious alarm.
Carpets are not, however, its ouly food, as 1t
intests wearing apparel hanging 10 closets or
laid away In drawers Unlike moths, it is said
TO prey upon cotton fabrics Ii is very COM
mon aud destructive European insect, but mas
DOL uul recently been detected in the Uulted
States. LIS peculiar forte is the eating OF car
pets, and hence the familiar uame, carpet
bug" Which ii has won. 1t belongs to the
family known as the Derulestid;e, which con-
p:ses severed ot our most III urlous depredators
OIL animal eub>i.uccS. aud Is entirely dIttcreDt
10 appearance aGd hablts irom the W"ll kuowu
carpet moth. 1t uoucealS Itself beneath the
borders ui carpets nailed to the floor, aud eats
away those portious. Occasionally il ges in
the CRACKS vi the ii ,or, following which II eats
across eDtire breadthS of carpets le.vlug
iiuc which seems to have been cut by the SOS
surs. 1t destroys new as we'll as old carp.ts,
and, if allowed 10 urced aud multiply, may re-
duce Us to bare floors soo1. Professor j. A
Llutuer, State EutuuOoglst, describes these
Interesting AUthreUuS scrophular,a as small
ovate object, abou one tcuth ct 40 lnch III
length, thickiy cluhed with numerous short
bristle like halr-, ard ;ei .Dlnating III pencil
of these iolmirg tai. 1t IS exceedingly active
in its motions ami guides away very rapidly.
Like the house hy !; disappears in winter aud
eats only during lhc summer moths. de SAID:
II captured several OF the larse and d theU
upon pieces oil ca pets III order ~ rear them.
10 S'pteml Ell they had cv!ientiy inagugcl aud
assumed thuli qurscant pupil state Elthio the
skin OF the iar,sr first reui by a spllI along
the back Tor The e.cape OF tie perfect lnsec.
AT this stage was lea By "a study of Its char
acter to retrii, IN AL probability, 10 the genus
Anthremu-. Last week had the prea; graft.
ication Of ottalniug from the pul a the hfst
example of ti,. perfect l,sect L was 7ery
miuutc beetle, approximately Que teuth OF au
lnch 10 leue,h, Dut oeauttu ly marked 10
prettily arranged cym5 5iuatIou OF red, white
and brown. | had, beyond doubt, referred 1t
10 lis proper geou>. The detection OF this lu-
sect adds 10 our iauaa Another species or the
dread. genus OF AutkremuS, perhaps 10 equal
10 Its destructive agency the wels-knoWn muse
um pest, the A. varius, formerly known as A.
musocorum, the obti uS've guest OF all our col
lcctlors OF paturai history, whose raVages IL
seem. I'M possible fully to guard agalost and so
exceedingly difficult TO couirol. This pest,
which is called the buffalo moth, is also con-
m!ltng ravages 10 New Jersey.
A SOLDIER OF FoRTUNE.-The Servian cor
respondent of he London News writes: Exit
Protcpopof! Who. then. is Protopopot? Pro-
topopot is a Russian soldier Of fortune, whose
acquaintance first made during the Spanish
war at Bllblo, when be Was captain 10 Iona
division. Whcn Oh my first visit to Aiextua
| casually met Protopupoi 10 coffee house
lie was then in command OF coupe OF oat.
tauus of artillery, aud he held the post OF
danger at SupOvac. withln sight OF the luik;
outpos;s H. had coue back to Aexlua z r
orders, tor big druk, for money, and Tor t.,
bacco. He gave me au invitatou 20 come abd
stay wi h him on the fpreposts at Sup"vac, aud
went off next morning. with rather headache
but With silver medal on his breast. From
others [ e ,rned something OF Protopopot' ca.
reer iu the service OF Ssrvia. he had 'ned
a. volunteer, had got battalion cjmmand,
and had beer out TO Satschar. ln one OF the
eally fights there he had distinguished himself
in peculiar uanner. He mad gone forward
alone, his battalion having run away. he had
come on hut 10 which, he had found SIX Turk
ish soldiers. These he mad slain sereatim. But
he desired some evidence Of his prowess; would
he be believed if be recounred this story with
out evidence? So he cut OFT the ears OF the
six dead Turks, skewered the twelve ears on
piece of stick, and brought them back 100 the
SeIvlan camp as voucher tor his valor. raos,
terred 10 the army .! the Morava he dld gooo
service 90 the ioreposts aud gained the silvsr
medal. Later, heard Of him as having dis
4 ! ,hnf ut ~
aud az having received the gold cross.
Som" little time aflerward | met hiIu
iu Belgrade, limping from the effect OF
bullet wound in the foot, but tull OF
pluck and determined to return to the front 10
few DAYS. When came to Delisrad on a
later vsi, met him leaving hea Qu rtelS with
out his sword He told me he sas under at
rest. but would DOT say for what reason. On
inquiry learned that he had received two hun
dred ducats tor distribution among bis com
maud at Supnvac in recognition OF their ser
vices 10 The Mramor aft ir. Oae story was that
he had retained the whole amoaut OF this mou-
ey; auother. that he kept back only fifteen du-
cats. aud made himself merry theron. Any
how he was uuder arrest, and then heard nc
was riSoner The other day was tod ne
had beeu Iihcrated, nut degraded from ms
rank of officer. and allowed, upon his own earn
eSt solicitation, to serve as Voluuteer io .hc
capacity Of private soldier. Last night, wheu
sitting outSid, the fee. house here, heard
row iusid, Going in, becaus, heard Voice
that seemed familiar to me, found there Pro-
topopct very drunk indeed. and 10 the h'at OF
an alterca;ion with the landlord. he was on
his way to the year with his arm lu sling. Ii
the Iast xxi msh bullet had broken his arm,
AMI gouc through iato his side. where it had
iuhotcd Acs! wou d. He was supposed tc
be IN The hosrtaL but the reckless lug5ueu
Rascal preferred tic wine cup spite ot nj:
wouud, aud 1t was With difficulty that J got
him to cu.er the Wagon which was to convey
him to Paraj,n Ifthere should be war II
China should not Wonder should | meet hin
there, or he may take his next service with TIT