Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-05-19
The Butterfly Hunters.
HELEN s. CONANT.

/
dancing and sparkling down every hillside
| The meadows are wet and soft, and all
the hollows are miniature lakes, by which
i the green grass already shoots up in tall,
slender spires. Along the roadside, and
under the old stone walls, the dingy snow
banks waste rapidly away, giving place to
banks of emerald turf and delicate way
side flowers.
1t was one of these sweet mornings that
Hal, with his net and box and bottle of
ether, started out with Tom to hunt for the
first spring butterfly, the Antiopa. which,
after livin. all winter in old buildings or
od-piles, creeps out to die in the warm
April sunshine.
Are we going to tramp all over the
wet. spashy meadows?" asked Tom.
80 no. answered Hal, mot to-day.
But you need t look so fearfully at the wet
fields, 70: long before summer is over |
shall go straight through mud and water,
and SO will YOU. To-day we will only
hunt round the barns and woodshed. al
though Mr.. Benedict says the Antiopa is
often found in warm, sunny places in the
woods -
"Who is Mr.. Benodict?'
''IIc is our teacher. A real Jolly man
he is, too, and all the boys like him. But
why did Mt you bring out your nct?'
Rose has not finished it vet. l shall
catch about rs much with the net in her
work b,sket as if had it out here"
"Don't say that, Tom. But as your
hand, are empty, you may rs we'll carry
my box
You don't expect to I'LL this bi. box to-
day, do you?"
The box will hold one, if l have the
luck to catch it," said Hal. laughing
But. You Sec perhaps we shall hunt for
nothing all day Butterfly huntin. takes
Just a> much patience and skill as fishing
only it is mure active sport
While they We're talking, the two boys
walked eisurcly alon. through the yard
back Of Mr.. Merton's house. They climbed
over the bars and went down the lane to
the barn.
Hal. what are you going to do with
this cther?' asked Tom. The smell
m Ike, m, feel just 4, if l WAS going 10
hlv" Il too.h pulled
Il am gong to serve the butterflies Just
T. rs the dentist serves YOU" replied Hal.
: soon rs catch one | put drop of this to
tS nose, and put it to sleep SO that it will
feel no plin Then fastcn it with pin
10 one of these pieces of cork You see in the
box. put the butterflies to sleep before
taking them from the net, or else they
wnuld tlutter and struggle SO as to dcstory
f all the delicate down on their wings. But
= vcu shall see. Come along
h The noon sun had spread is full glory
4 of warmth and light through the air. and
h the boys stepped very cautiously, for lla
said t,lcv might find Il butterfly hovering
G. over any Of the old logs that lay scattered
G about in the grass.
y / I, 4
. Hal: for the Antiopl are verv shy. anl i
IT, zee one lighted want to throw my ne
r over it before anything starts it. Thi:
J. kind fly very nigh, and il is mt easy tl
y chase them
: why. Hal thought You had just be
e run to study Lcp-whlt do you call it
% Bat YOU seem to know all about the habit
D, of the butterflies now
e. "Of course have had to study some be
# fore beginning to catch them. replied
Hal; land, bc>iirS. last autumn | hunte
= and found Il few. but was aw hward then
n. and tore them all t. pieces trying to Ar
~ range them on the corks. Stop, stop
If There's one lighted on that old log"
Hal stole softly along. and threw his net
of bat the beautiful insect tloated up over tn
:, roof of the barn. and finally lighted f,
t. above Halls reach. Hal did not stop +,
* reply to Toms loud. ringing laugh. bu
T. went on quietly looking for more butter
10 flies. turning every now and then to Sc
y. whether the first one had flown from tn
10 roof. 1t soon darted off over the othe
h, side Of the building. and Hal chased ate
N it. leaving his cousin behind. Very 500
" Tom heard Had calling for the box an
III ctlcr.
~ When + m came up, Hal had gathere
Y the net up into a bunch. conlining the in
D. sect in Il small space. He was holding
rs very carefully TO keep it quiet, until h
,r could pat it to sleep with 4 drop OF ether
re rom held the bottle, while, Hal wit
We 4 delicate brush dropped a little ethe
n on the butertly's head. The insect 500
in ceased moving. and Hal then fastened
re- bv means OF Il long. slender pin to one
It the corks in his box, and spread out il
of wings 50 a> to show all the beauty An
IN variety of the colorS.
* You punch it with your ugly pin AS
#, it WAS dead instead of asleep said Ton
- YES. know | do; and perhaps it
of dead, replied Hal. All the while busil
m arranging the wings before they gre
of stiff and brittle "Sometimcs they wax
Nv up," he continued, land then l have
bv rive them another dose of ether"
,lc 1t WAS now nearly time for dinner. al
,ic the bows turned to 20 into the house.
,ir the ward Hal. succeeded in cathing tw
BIZ more butterflies of the same kind.
be .'Whv do you keep so many just alike:
I'll asked rom.
rat The specimens are not always pc
he feet answered Hal, ''and then we want
in pair in our collection. The female is
wavs larger and more beautiful in col
than the male. Besides, with mai
butterflies the under side is quite as i
terc,tinr t. examine rs the upper. SO v
~ catch all we Gun, and afterwards sele
~ the finest specimens to keep.
~ The bows stopped to show their spec
io mems to Rose who was waiting for the
t. to dinner.
ic In the evening Hal and Tom went ov
..' -. to the school house, where they found N
Nv Benedict the teacher, who WAS a gre
''' favoritc with the boys, sitting in one of t
recitation rooms. About twenty boys we
-. gathered near him. and on the table at
~ side lay several large books and numb
M ~ Of small boxes. The boys were all tai
~ ing eagerly; AMI frankie Mason. a brig
eyed .itlle fellow of ten. was telling Il
'' teacher how hard he had worked all d.
without catching Il single butterfly, VIII
-, -, the door opened. and Hal and Tom. wi
wv - Johnny Webb, came in with their boxt
N and laid them on the table. The bo
m.n m then took their seats, Mr.. Benedict. col
~ menceJ rs follows
~" i'' In the beginning l shall make o
nv nv. study rs simple as possible, and leave
rlt i the diff cult things till we are better at
.s' to understand them. We will study Il
y butterflies by what we can see with t
r., 1u' naked eye, because very few of y'
T,. possess microscopes
loH, The teacher stopped and turned to l.
: table. f ,ch boy had brought his specim
~ in II neat paper box. on which his ov
m ml'n name was written, SO that Mr.. Bened
", uc might know whose butterfly was the be
49, preserved He smiled us he looked
~, some of them, for they were torn. and Il
,on W., down on the wings nearly rubbed off: