The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-12-04
CHRONOLOGICAL.
Prof Heiligbrodt's Extensive Collection
of Runs RactIes and Rutterflies

Prof. Heiligbrodt's Extensive Collection
of Bugs, Beetles and Butterflies.
A dime museum could hardly have
attracted more people than did the
mammoth exhibit OF insects belong
ing to Prof. Heilig of Bastrop,
at the temporary capitol yesterday.
The building was crowded all the
forenoon with people curious to see
the wonderful display, and none re-
GREETED going, for truly it was sight
worth going to see. The professor is
natural entomologist. For the past
sixteen years he has been steadily at
work, until to-day he has the finest
and most varied private collection of
any man in the Southern states. The
beautiful order and system displayed
by him in the arrangement of
these insects challenges the adj
miTatiCn of every visitor. The
completeness of the collection too,
is the best evidence of
the Industry of the proprietor. He
certainly went into his work con
amore, and is to be congratulated on
the result. There are fully ten thou
sand specimens-beetles from Italy,
France, Spain, the Alps and the Pyre-
neeS; beetles of varied kinds from the
tropics of Asia and Africa, and far
away Australia. Every part of the
world seems to have been laid under
contribution. Gorgeous butterflies
from distant islands across the sea,
charm the beholder with their brilliant
hues. One specimen from Madagascar
is particularly beautiful. The collec-
ton Of hymenoptera. or wasps, was
very full; and the different sorts of
moths was almost bewildering. Nor
was Texas uprepresented IN this rare
spectacle. Insects OF every kind from
Bastrop county, showed what the Lone
Star state could do in an entomology
cal exhibit.
"How did you manage to secure
them all ?" asked the reporter.
The professor smilingly explained d:
"Oh, it is not very difficult, but it
takes time and patience. l go out in
the woods at night with a lantern In
one hand and bottle of chloroform
in the other. Then 1 smear the trunk
of tree or bush with a mixture. of
beer and molasSes. This attracts
hundreds and hundreds of these little
creatures, and then | kill them with
the chloform. But the hardest part
of the work is yet to come, that is the
getting them in proper shape for
preservation and exhibition.
What is your object in all this ?
Do you eXpe ct to sell them?"
"Well, have fancy for the work;
it is sort of whim of mine. No,
don't care to sell my bugs and butter
flies. 1t has taken me a long time to
gather them, and 1 would be
lost without them. l am at
tached to every individual insect
almost as much, l suspect, as
lady to her favorite poodle. The
only thing l would care for in connect
ion with this would be an appointment
as entomologist if such a public office
should ever be created.
But how did you manage to secure
them all, did you go in person to the
Himalayas and the Alps, the Amazon
/ and the Nile?
/ Not after these. l have travelled in
almost all lands, but | generally man
aged to secure most of my pets
through exchange with collectors IN
Philadelphia. Texas is very rich itself
in this line. and there is a strong de.
sire in the east to get specimens from
this state.