Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-11-05
BUTTERFLIES.
Some Curious Scientific Faets-Mimicry in
Nature

Nature.
Cincinnati Commerce Gazette
Rev. W. ]. Holland, pastor of the Belle
field Presbyterian church, and one of the
most noted etymOlogist of the country
has just returned from an extended trip.
During the last month he has received
some very rare and valuable accessions to
his already large collections of buttefies.
The new specimens come from China
Japan, Africa, Switzerland, and parts of
this country. One of the most interest
ing is that sent by Rev. B. C. Henry,
author of the "Cross and Dragon" for
merly of ShaIpsburg, but now a mission
airy in the island of Hainau. Rev. Henry
was the first white man to collect insects in
that island for scientific purposes. He
has sent Rev. Mr.. Holland some 800 spec
linens of butterflies, representing about
100 different species. The specimens be-
long to what is known as the Siam fatu-
ma and contain six species hitherto un-
known to scientists.
In showing the new specimens to a
Commercial Gazette reporter last night
Mr.. Holland said: These butterflies ex-
emplify in striking manner what is
known in science as mimicry. Let me
explain. Here is a male butterfly" he
said, pointing to one of the finest looking
specimens, land by its side is the female
This female differs greatly in ap-
pearance from the male of her own spe-
cies, but is almost the counterpart of the
male of another species. Now that male,
to which the female is so similar in ap-
pearance, belongs to q species that, on
account hf peculiar excretions from the
body, enjoys immunity from the ravages
AF l. nd
science, there are certain species that are
thus free from the attack of birds. As
the propagation of the butterfly depends
principally on the female, nature has
provided that in IL ose species not favor
ed with immunity from bird attacks the
females sionld resemble the forms which
enjoy this immunity. Not only is their
mimicry of other forms of butterfly, but
of the bark of trees, the blades of grass,
and other natural objects on which the
female butterfly rests.
81 have just received a collection of
fifteen hundred specimens from the west
coast of tropical Africa, where Du Chaillu
started out to hunt gorillas. The Afri-
can butterflies present a great variety of
form and color. In the Madagascar but
terflies the male is constant in the same
species, but the female shows as high as
seven varieties of form. This variety of
form is no doubt due to the principle of
mimicry by which the female butterfly is
protected"
ION this theory, then, the Arctic but
terhies ought to be white" suggested the
reporter.
The Arctic butterflies are often white"
continued Mr.. Holland, but not because
that is the color of the snow. In Green
land the butterflies are the insects of the
summer as well as here. Some of our
butterflies are almost the color of the
vegetables on which they perch and hence
can scarcely be distinguished from their
surroundings.
1T is a curious fact about the Green
land butterfly that the same species
which here natures in forty days re-
qui .es in that climate over two years.
There Is one species of butterfly that is
great cosmopolite. He is found in
China and in Pennsylvania. | refer to
the thistle butterfly. 1t has followed the
thistle down all over the world The
intelligence of butterflies is shown in
their wonderful memory. They will fly
about for hours and then return to the
Identical leaf from which they started
and go TO bed. The largest butterflies,
the orthoptera measure as high as eleven
inches across the wings from tip to tip"
How large a collection have you
now?" was asked.
Il rever keep any account Of the num-
Der of specimens, as that alone does not
make collection valuable. | think |
have the most complete collection of this
country. OF the 639 specimens in Amer
ica north of the Rio Grande l have an
abundant representation. But my collec
tion is not complete, nor will it be until
| have about 100000 specimens. That
will be in the days of my great great
grandson perhaps"