New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-08
TIE MYSTERIES OF MOTHS.
HUNTING FOR EARLY CATERPILLARs.

HOW A DEVOTED ESIoMOLOGIsr OCCUPIES His TIME.
"Ihe caterpillar season Is at hand, sald
Mr. Elliott. the cntomOlOgst, 10 u TRIBUNB reporter
have already begun my hun.hg Ine Ealne - en a.
which Ia aided by NATURE, VINO gives IL reSeDlahoe
10 the leaves winch 1t feeds or To the BARK Inc night
drrs secete themselves during the day from DrdS In
various ways but the usual device - 70 crawl mo
cicvice o ne This Is at rst puzzng to the tyro
c,ec,or and he hunts in vain But little Ipcrience
proves that the right way TO hunt Tor Is 10
ook under the trees their drOppngs. Practice has
given me such readiness that tell what caerillars
arc in any tree by their droppDgs alone recognize
the specas AS belonging 10 day feeder look up ana
watch intently | soon almost lmperceptl6e
movement n small twlg and It's attached leaves II IL
\, large KIND ana tue place Ia sti, can near the WORK
inc. al Inc laws as they crunch the juicy leaves, Tor
onterpillars eat very no.iy. Then take my cutter
which Is "a sharp steel implement made IKE crescent
Ar tne end OF machine in joints like shng rod which
can be extended to twenysi1 feet II necessary de-
caeiy the twig and the leaves, aclhs IKE para
chute caterpillar VINO comes 10 thr ground
perfectly uninu red place him In bottle with enough
leaves to keep him hapPly employ uuul % , i
TO broad, glass covered tray where supply hln Win
food until he spns his cocoon or turns l9'o pdpa h
In stage there Is much interest ana also mncn
anxiety. We have two brO0ds Tue spflhg DIood "hlcu
l. drawing TO close. aud the ial n-oOd Tue calerI
enters now INTO the chIy SANS OF puIa stage VIII
come out moth or butterfly III ifom ten 10 twenty
days hut the fa csterpars wheh tnry become kpas OF
spin Will remain 50 all the winter ana WIN h'tch
out next spring Sometimes they remain IN the
reanless sleep OF the sken TOMB for tie whole year,
and DO not hatch out untll the second sprlngi
at first greatly opposed to breeding lepdOptrrt
for they said tuat the practice dwared the specimens
the c0coons and pupis becoming cried up especially the
all Droods But my specimens have tend,n to be
than those reared naturally. IN my pnpa 9ohes
have endeavorcd To initiate nature cOhsuereu that
tine cocoons fastened to twgs or In crevces OF bark were
exnos. 10 ulius and to SHOWS. AMI kept moist.
Aud pupas buried in the earth and that was
moist. so arranged my boxes accordingly. Ihere Ia
al the bottom a wire grating Upon this Is placed moss
and upon moss aro the pupas ANA cocOOhs Uhder-
ynporntor for the takes NJ by evaporation all II
needs aud keeps itself at proper degree OF humidity
Mr. Elliott poute TO two or glasscOVrred boz Is
that extended the length OF the IN which reposet
every variety OF cocoon and OF pupa In each box was
- what these little tickets with niin6erst ~
Those" answered Mr. Elliott are the checks; Mr.
Harry Edwards the president OF our chronological
Association. describes all my caterplars as last as cap
the last number OF distinct species captured Inst year
lie keeps book cnumcratng every species ana cor,
then In tho boxes and then In the drying boxes
40 that there may be mistake No IL calls Tor the
rare moth Aotias unt OF which have now 200 cater
plIars eagerly feeding which will show you presently
but observe the pupa boxes LhoSe .o ,
butterfly or just born. IL clngs TO one OF these
winch are movable Observe that Jne Just born-an i'm
periaIs. ! rsmovo her tfor see from the fnness OF
her body that It is LADY, and place her attached TO
this strip In drying box In this row you see different
moths and butterflies getting dried, LOT wneh tney
emerge rom the cocoon or from pupa they arc quite
wet They sleepy In this stage ana an immense
number all victims To birds Look at this hne speci-
n,n of Polyphenus, sometimes called the American silk
worm | will try and wake him up"
SO saying, Mr. Elliott removed from drying D0x
magnificent Poly phenus, on whose wings nature had
nenied the hucs or the topaz aud the amethyst The
entonoogst held the strip Of wood to which tue motn
had attached himself In his left hand and with the right
used "A delicate instrument like long lire needle Ter
inInatng In microscopic hook. WITH THIS he genty
pried back eyed aud tiny speck OF black eye wss
visible for IA moment but was Immediately covered up,
OF the sleeper was manifested ny tue
f,relegs, which had been doubled up, and which now
spread themselves and kicked family. further app-
cation Of the instrument had no elect upon tue eyes Dut
the forelegs kicked again. You see said Mr. ELLIOTT,
how last they sleep. Had he voice We should hear
him complain like DR.. Watts's suggard, You have
walked too soon. must slunber again 49, .
Now we will look at the early caterpilars All or
the YOU To understand have been bred from eggs
laid by females that | have bred You remember the
an tethcrcd to willow tree, and so cap
tured fine male. III you look along tbs walls you VIII
see various tethered ,beautes hat creature
IL sama Cynthia OF Japan said 10 be utilized tDere
for silk its has to be cardcd and cannot DO
recled 10 brought here seven years ago by some
enthusiastic Brooklyn man who proposed 10 Invent u
carding machine which | understand he has not sue
ceedrd la dong. In the meantime some Of the cater
pillars escaped aud took most lovingly to the ailantus
Tree they bred in such numbers that the inuDic
lpa authorities there became alarmed and offered re-
wards for oaterpiilars and eocoOns. But the sania
CYNTHIA whose reasoning powers appear u be highly
developed found itself tue object of persec-
ton than IL transferred Its affections To other trees anu
now feeds contentedly fortysx other trees in con-
sequence oil which municipal authorities Of Brooklyn
being logger alarmed for their hideOus nllantus
trees offer rewards for this caterpillar, which Is
now developing itself with extreme rapidly. III the
gentleman who to make the carding machine could
only succeed should have and lucrative indus
try. For beyond question: the cocoon IS stronger,
better handsOmer silk than the bombyx morus the silk
another way to solve the problem and frey greatly
sgacity OF the SANTA Cynthia 10 aid me- propose
TO try and induce this caterpillar 10 give up making use
OF leaves its shall endeayor to teach IL To
spin It's web between tall perpendicular strips OF wood a.
each end OF the tray. am trying the same experiment
with the ordinary D0mbyx You can see some OF them
hard at work. ikng their crossing cables but so far
OF them have gone beyond tho preliminary stsgeA