Book-lice, various small insects which damage books: (1) Thus in the family Psocidæ, in the order Orthoptera, there are numerous minute wingless insects which shelter in books and among papers, and do especial damage to collections of insects. One of them (Atropos pulsatorius) was long credited with being the Death-watch. The closely allied Troctes divinatorius is a yet commoner pest of entomological cabinets. See DEATH WATCH.—(2) Among beetles, too, in the wood-boring family, Xylophaga, Ptilinus pectinicornis is known to attack books with wood in the binding. See the article BORERS.—(3) Very different are the book-scorpions (Cheliferidæ) in the spider class (Arachnida). See BOOK-SCORPION.
Book-lice
Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 2: Beaugency to Cataract, p. 309
Source scan(s): p. 0320