The 'worm' is a beetle about one-eighth of an inch or more long. The grub or larva, which probably does most of the mischief, is a little longer. There are several kinds, but Anobium domesticum is the commonest. The superstitious know him by another name - that of 'Death-watch.' The ticking noise which arouses such awe is produced by the beetle striking his jaws against the hard wood. It is a signal or call from one sex to another, and is naturally heard most distinctly in the night when all is still.

To judge whether a piece of furniture is entirely-old and genuine, the hand may be of assistance to the eye. The work of the 'old soldier' with the object of inducing age has been referred to. A dealer has informed me that by merely passing his hand over a piece of furniture he can tell at once whether it is wise to leave it alone. Though he may not hope to arrive at this pitch of perception, the student will always find it useful to practise the art of feeling the surface. Perfunctorily polished restorations have a harshness to the touch which the older parts have not. We can feel the fresh-cut grain sometimes when, for instance, a new arm has been added to a mahogany chair. The writer has in mind a long oak table to which an additional pair of legs was added in the centre. Wherever there is a sharp edge in the turning of these new legs the difference from the old, after more than twenty years of use, is still pronounced. The value of a piece of furniture will, of course, depend largely upon the proportion of old and new.

Speaking, however, of what purports to be in the main authentic, the use of the hand is only one of the means which have their weight in the decision.

Enough has been said in the earlier chapters, upon the patterns of carving which are most typical in old oak. They are of paramount importance in the question of authenticity. Then there is the appearance of the actual incisions. If they look too sharp and unworn, no amount of worm-holes or use of old wood for fresh carving will mitigate their untruthfulness. Finally, there are the general shape, the construction, and the surface or patina to be thought of. It is a combination of all the requisites which alone can leave us in a spirit of undisturbed tranquillity. A counterfeit maker, worth his salt, must do something more than drench his timber with the commercial 'black oak' stain and bore a few holes with a fine bradawl if he wishes to impose upon any one who has been in the habit of examining old oak furniture.