The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-11-27
Insects I'm Books.

At the recent meeting of the British
Scientific Association, Professor Wcstwood
read u paper interesting to all possessing a
library. lie described the life history of
the various insects which attack books, and
suggested some remedies. The caterpillars
of the moth Aglossa pinguinals, and also of
n species or Dcprcssaris, often injurc books
by spinning their webs between the vol
umes, and gnawing small portions of the
paper with which to form their cocOons A
small mite, Cheylctus cruditus, is also found
occasionally in books kept in damp situa-
tions, where it gnaws the paper. A very
minute beetle, Hypothcncmus cruditus
(WestwootD, forms its tiny burrows with
in the binding Of books. The small in
sccts Uepisma saccharina) found in closets
and cupboards where provisions arc kept,
also feed on paper. A curious example Of
its work waf exhibited in framed and
glazed print, of which the plain portion was
eaten, whilst the parts covered by the
printing ink were untouched. The author
has been assured that the same fact has been
observed in India, where some Of the Gov
cnment records had been injured in the
same manner. The habit of the Lcpismm
had not been previously recorded. The
white ants Crcrmitid,p), arc constant
source Of annoyance i'll hot and warm eli
mates, eating all kinds of objects of vcget-
able origin, of which several instances were
recorded by DR.. Hagen, including the de-
struction of a stock of bibles and prayer
books. Cocliroaches O3Iatta oricntalis), arc
also equally destructive to books when they
fall in their way. But it Is the Death
watches (Anobium pcrtinax ana stratum),
which do the greatest injury, gnawing and
nTrr moi nnlp In, Il f1,o
bindings but also entirely through the VOL
ume, and instances havc bccn recorded
where not fewer than twenty seven folio
volumes, placed together on bookshelf,
have been so clcanly drilled through by the
larvae of this beetle that string might be
run through the hole made by them, and
the volumes raised by the string. The rem
cdies against the attacks of the Anoblum
upon bjccts Of carved wood must ncccs-
sarily be Of Il different character from those
used against the book worms, which arc
the larvae Of the AnOba. In the former
case, saturation with chloride of mercury
dissolved in mcthylatcd spirits of wine or
other analogous fluid has been found to be
efficient. But with respect to books, it was
necessary to have recourse to vapOriZatiOn,
and experiments were recorded in which
objects attacked by the Anobia had been
placed in Il large glass case, made us air
tight as possible, and small saucers with
pieces of sponge saturated with carbolic
acid were placed at the bottom of the case,
and OH the recommendation of The author it
had been found successful to place the in
fectcd volumes in the Bodcan Library in a
closed box, with quality of bcnzine in Il
saucer at the bottom. A strong infusion of
co.ocynth and quassa, Chloroform, spiri Of
turpcntinc, expressed juice OF green walnuts
and pyroligncous acid has also been en-
ploycd successfully. Fumigation on large
scale may also be adopted by having room
made as air-tight as possible, burning brim-
stone in it, or filling the room with fumes
of prussic acid or benZinc DR.. Hagen sug-
gcsts that, by placing al infected volume
under the bcll-glass of an air-pump and cX-
tracing the air, the larvae would be killed
during an hours exhaustion