Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-12
INSECTS THAT EAT cumos.
s,r the omerrs Of the Smithsonian Tn.
.tt.tt.,r Combat Toea


ssv the omecrs Of the Smithsonian In.
stltntion Combat ToeA
pnes are n source OF much anxiety and
.n,ovance TO tho curators Of birds and
,nsmtnals nj the Smithsonian Institution
"A in the National museum. II given
a ehapce they would gobble up the dead
aud stufled creatures, not even sparing
,be bones and the beaks. Accordingly.
those I'm charge have TO DO perpetually
on the alert TO combat these small but
DO. contemplate foes
n A stuffed "specimen" IA thoroughly
polsoued with arsenic when 4, Is pre-.
,ared there Is little or no danger that II
r,il over be attacked but the collections
in charge Of Secretary Langley are gath.
,r,d together nom all parts Of tho world
ami very many Of the contributions aro
moi properly protected in this respect
This is true particularly Of those which
come from the tropics, whore peppers
aud pungont spices are consldofcd sum.
cent for purposes Of preservation.
10 they arc for awhile, and then. tho
splees having lost their strength. the
enemy begins TO got In its work. Not
only docs this happen with stuffed birds
and beasts. but the skeletons TINT reach
the institution with the flesh roughly
chopped oil them and folded up In tho
smallest possible compass for Transports
ton are frequently 20 poorly protected
by poisoning that maggota get at them
AMI eat the lgaments which join the
bones "a as to seriously injuro their use
fuIncsA
Thue kinds Of insects threaten tho
tnllol collections Ono IA tho familiar
moth, which cats the feathers or hair
down to tho skin aud leaves unsghtly
ball patches Another IL tho "iernos.
tea~ or common "lard beetle, which
attacks anu eats holes In the fatty skins
But wore than either OF these Is the
"anthrinusr-a beetle about tho size Of a
No. 8 shot. and No small therefore that 1t
docs not render itself evident aud Is no,
readily found when sought for
Il il very fond u anything horny, and.
rctting q chance at bird. It will begin
by eating oil tho covering OF the bill. de.
nuiing tho legs aitcrward and chewing
% tho shafts OF tho bigger feathers. II
lthas m opportunity. 1t will regularly
houoycoinb the horns OF animals fires.
eocd Tor museum purposes.
OF course It is understood That thosC
three bugs do all the damage In tho lar
w stage Of their being il. while
they arc yet worms Another sort Of Ia
set gots into empty eggs and eats mp III,
Inning membranes, where cnrclcss col
lec,ors have loft thom inside. ~ thoy
should not do, bat It cannot iniuro Oh,
shells and doci no harm, except TO max,
litter
Tho best remedy, or preventive, know
81 biulphido o. carbon; but Il has D,
horrible smell that Curator Rilgwa,
will not use Il for keeping tho birds I'm
dcs his charge. He prefers TO employ III,
next best thing, which Is naphtholine, 1
rrodnct Of coal tar. A handful Of crys
tails OF Il will kill case full Of insects
II has tho disadvantage Of Irritating thi
breathing passages, producing u chrunil
catarh Curator Of Mammals Truo Pre-
fors the offensive bisulphide OF carbon.
A great many things besides beast
and birds at tho National museum hay
10 DO protected from insects, for exam
pie, thecostumes Of all nations aud othe
dry goods OF every kind. which afford nj
agreeable dict for devouring bugs II /
10 small task TO protect these pcrishabl
articles from tho attacks OF many lcgge,
rAvengers with stomachs for anythinl
short Of metal and no respect for th
most sacred Of ourios. -Washington Star