ut
can be distinguished at once by having legs. It is a caterpillar, with
six legs upon its thorax and eight sucker-like protuberances on its
body, like a silk-worm. It changes into a chrysalis, and then assumes
its perfect shape as a small brown moth. The species that attacks books
is the OEcophora pseudospretella. It loves damp and warmth, and eats any
fibrous material. This caterpillar is quite unlike any garden species,
and, excepting the legs, is very similar in appearance and size to the
Anobium. It is about half-inch long, with a horny head and strong jaws.
To printers' ink or writing ink he appears to have no great dislike,
though I imagine that the former often disagrees with his health, unless
he is very robust, as in books where the print is pierced a majority of
the worm-holes I have seen are too short in extent to have provided food
enough for the development of the grub. But, although the ink may be
unwholesome, many grubs survive, and, eating day and night in silence
and darkness, work out their destiny leaving, according to the strength
of their constitutions, a longer or shorter tunnel in the volume.

In December, 1879, Mr. Birdsall, a well-known book-binder of
Northampton, kindly sent me by post a fat little Worm, which had been
found by one of his workmen in an old book while being bound. He bore
his journey extremely well, being very lively when turned out. I placed
him in a box in warmth and quiet, with some small fragments of paper
from a Boethius, printed by Caxton, and a leaf of a seventeenth century
book. He ate a small piece of the leaf, but either from too much fresh
air, from unaccustomed liberty, or from change of food, he gradually
weakened, and died in about three weeks. I was sorry to lose him, as I
wished to verify his name in his perfect state. Mr. Waterhouse, of the
Entomological department of the British Museum, very kindly examined him
before death, and was of opinion he was OEcophora pseudospretella.

In July, 1885, Dr. Garnett, of the British Museum, gave me two worms
which had been found in an old Hebrew Commentary just received from
Athens. They had doubtless had a good shaking on the journey, and one
was moribund when I took charge, and joined his defunct kindred in a
few days. The other seemed hearty and lived with me for nearly eighteen
months. I treated him as well as I knew how; placed him in a small box
with the choice of three sorts of old paper to eat, and very seldom
di