Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses Page: 19
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TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 19
The Tobacco and Drug Store Beetle
In beginning to enumerate some
of my private reminiscenses in na-
tuare observations, including ob-
servations on Texas insect life, in
the "Texas Field and National
(iGuardsman," the peculiar life
history of one of the minutest and
boldest of injurious insects, the
tobacco and the so-called drug-
store beetle, may find first place
in these sketches; and the follow-
ing is slbstant lldily a reprint from
the Guide to Nature; a monthly
magazine devoted principally to
nature study, and edited by Prof.
Edward F. Bigelow, Sound Beach,
Conn.
In his editorial columns, Pro'f.
Bigelow introduced the above
matter in the following compli-
mentary and highly appreciated
words:
"No letters and contributions
come to the Guide to Natuire,
which show more faithful and e'-
ficient interest in nature than
those from Dr. R. Menger of San
Antonio, Texas. Unlike some
other correspondents, he does rt
get provoked if we are obliged
to return now and then an account
of observations for which we cnn
not find room.
"Then, too, he says and does
something; he does not send mere
words about what he would l ke
to do nor does he send indefinite
eulogies of all the glories of na-
ture and of nothing in particular.
He gets down to business. He sees
things. He ascertains facts. Ile
does not get discouraged. He is
just the kind of faithful worker
we commend to other workers.
See his article, "Peculiar Meta-
morphosis of the Tobacco Beetle,"''
on page 94 of this number."
To begin with, about three
years ago, the Hon. P. G. Lucas,
of San Antonio, proprietor of the
''Mission Drug Store," handed
me several samples of cigars and
other tobacco goods which hadbeen perforated and otherwise ac-
cidentally mutilated by a min-
ute insect, one cigar in particular
being of much interest as it con-
tained larval vestiges (small
curved worms). The latter I gave
close attention since I was aware
that it was the larval state of the
tobacco beetle. The second cigar
contained three such larvae lying
snugly in furrows they had pre-Fig. 1
Cigar with Tobacco Larvae Imbeded in
Furrows of Tobacco, slightly magnified
pared by their active jaws. I sub-
jected part of this cigar with the
larvae to a close focus photo-
graphic reproduction with extra
near focusing lens. The result
is seen in the illustration here-
with submitted, (Fig.l) showing
the cigar and the imbedded larvae
(in the upper specimen) about
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Menger, R. Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses, book, 1913; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth143558/m1/23/?rotate=90: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas Health Science Center Libraries.