The Washington herald., 1908-08-09
THE TRUE BOOKWORM
Something About the Kind
that Really Eats Them.
BUGS WITH ALL SORT OF NAMES
But the Bread BOrer, which Is
Found in Every Climate, is Cred
ited with Being Most Destructive.
COckroaehes and Lice Have "A Pc
euliar FOndness for Paste.

more DOCKS and manuscripts nave DteA
destroyed by Insects than BY IRE. water.
rats, and nice combined
For many centuries Librarians had OBJ
served depredations due 20 insects with
out knowing their precise cause. writes
Jacques Boyer in the Scientific American
In I72l Frisch. OF Berlin. found in a crust
Of dry bread the larva Of an insect prob
ably Anobriumj which bored holes in
books, manuscripts, and paintings In I542
Prediger suggested methods of protecting
books from the ravages OF insects. and in
I754 the Gentleman's Magazine, OF Lon
don, recommended busting the shelves
and the ny leaves Of books with pepper
pulverized alum. and other insecticides.
These pailiatives proving insufficient, the
Gottinser Academy Of Sciences. twenty
years later. offered q prize for the discov-
cry Of injurious species and methods OF
destroying them. The subject has been
thoroughly Investigated by modern ento-
mologisJs. but no universal remedy has
been discovered
The Bread BOrer.
One OF the most formidable Of the insect
pests is the bread borer lAnobrlum pani-
ceum). which is found in all climates not
only in Libraries. but in rye bread. whence
its specific name. The bettle is one-twelfth
inch Ions. dovny. light brown, and striped
lengthwise- The eggs are laid between
the edges OF the leaves. in scratches in
leather bindings. chinks due 20 imperfect
pasting Of backs and ny leaves. ssc- They
hatch IN five or six days in summer and
the larva at once bore through The bind
iugs following the lines OF paste. The
worm Is browuish white. cylindrical.
slightly arched. and has thirteen seq
ments. The mead = brown scaly- and
armed with man6ibles which only cast
| iron can resist. according 10 one natural
[ isJ The worm borcs long. narrow tun-
nels through paper. leather. and wood.
/ leaving a tran Of sawdlst mixed with
! white ezcreLent- Pupation occupies
twenty days and takes place in enlarge
meuts Of the tunnels veI near che sur
face. so that the perfect insects have TO
I bore through only a thin shell, leaving
the large. round holes so common in old
bindings Pairing takes place in early
summer IL the tunnels which are not
I abandoned until the supply of food fails.
when other quarters are sought. Some
/ times not a single worm OF beetle Is
found IN a volume riddled with holes.
i fact that has puzzled many a librarian
One Effective Insecticide.
/ OF the various methods that have been
recommended for riGGlng Libraries Of Dor
I ers the only effective one consists in ex-
{ posing the infested volumes 20 the vapor
Z Of carbon disulphide BY putting them in
/ an alright aetaI-Iined box with a saucer
I Of that liquid Thirty-six hours OF this
/ treatment suffces 10 Xii BEETLES. pupae.
I larve. and eggs The unpleasant odor OF
I the disulpliie disappears after brief ex-
/ posGre 90 the air. and the only objection
I 20 the use Of this substance IS its tndsm-
inability and the explosive character OF
Z its vapo- when mixed with air Hence
I the fumigation should be done IN the day
E time in a vel ventilated room. ard the
I box should not be opened near q fame On
/ the other hand the process possesses the
I merit Of cheapless. as the Gisulphide
/ costs only cents a pound. and an ounce
Z suffices 20 funizate a box OF seventy
I cubic feet capacity
I The larya II The Dermestes has a pecu-
! liar foudness for bindings of leather and
! parchment. In May or June the females
I enter the library and lay their egss. usu-
I ally On the edges OF books IN contact
. with the wall. As soon as the Ia-va are
/ hacched they begin their work OF destrUc-
/ zion. not making Ions regular tunnels like
! the borers. but going il al directions and
/ guawinE and disirtezraring the bindings
. in an extraordinary manner SprinkIilg
+ With benzine and fUnigaJion with carbon
I disulphide have been recommended for
i their destruction
Dr. Hagen. q the Museum Of Cam
I bridge, Massachusetts. has found traps
| baited with cheese eficacious-
/ The Lepisma. OF silver FISH,. so called
| from its shape and shining scales. IS a lit
tie wingless insect OF the order Thysanu-
ha- which undersoes no uetamo-phosis.
/ and infests wardrobes and kitchen pan
I tries al well as Libraries The most de-
| strUctivs species may often be seen sour
ryinE away from q book suddenly opened
/ in summer Il has a large head. from
/ which the body tapers 70 pointed tail
terminating in three bristles- Its favorite
food is paste or glue 10 obtain which IL
destroys titles. labels and heavily sized
paper. respecting only the parts that are
covered with ink. II may be caught by