Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-04-19

1 WORK OF nature IS eXnlDlteu ny ina
change. What infinite skill Wha1
amazing design. What marvellous ex
ecutiOn.
"As the genial, warm. vernA day.
approach the Transformation nears it,
climax until toward the middle Of June,
bursting from its long confinement il
stands beautiful moth upon the
borders of another existence. The
exit from the chrysalis usually happen
ing in the morning. the moth. perched
upon some convenient projection. will
slowly wave its wings to gain strength.
keeping up this motion all day. A
the sun goes down it suddenly spreads
its wings and shoots away in search Of
some congenial mate. When resting.
instinct prompts it to seek some tree
whose bark matches in shade its own
color, for. although variously striped
when on the wing. with its wings
closed. its general appearance is OF q
dark brown. Thus it is that it escapes
capture until the vigilant and expert
enced hunter detects its hiding place. "
Mr. Meyers collection of moths con-
tains many of the finest specimens in
the world. some small enough to be
covered with silver five-cent piece.
others measuring. with wings extended.
eleven inches across from tip to tip.
The most valuable and important is
one captured in an Indian hut in
Brazil by his son while on an expedi-
ton through that country. 1t stands
alone, without any duplicate, the only
one of its species discovered. and is
to-day worth one thousand dollars.
Grayish brown in color, its chief dis
tinction lies in the lower wing. which
ends in an elongation about one-quar-
ter of an inch in breadth and three
inches long. When information OF its
discovery was sent to the British
museum the name of Jupiter. given on
account of the unique position it at
once occupied. was, through some
mistake, changed to Jehovah. and by
this term it is still called. although one
does not use it without a feeling OF re-
greet at such an unfortunate misnomer.
Examining this collection the eye rests
upon every graduation of color that man
can initiate or nature devise. Some
times all the hues of the rainbow are
blended in one wing. and again the en-
tire moth is as white as the driven
snow. Here one beholds flaming
red body with wings attached of a
purple more dazzling than that of the
royal robes of the East. There brown
body with wings resembling ordinary
calico print meets the eye. Truly.
NATURES resources in painting these
beautiful creatures are unlimited, and
the abandon and skill with which she
does her work is contemplated with as
constituent
Perhaps the most interesting class of
all is the Sphinx. so called from the
posture assumed by the worm. often
seen in an attitude resembling that of
the Egyptian Sphinx. viz: with tho
four parts elevated and the rest IT the
body lying fiat. The upper wings are
of fine dark gray color with few
variegations of dull orange and white.
while the under wings are OF bright
orange. The body is also of the same
shade as the latter, with the sides
marked by black bars. while along the
top of the back runs broad blue gray
stripe. On the back is a large patch.
exactly representing the usual figure of
skull. or deaths head, pale gray in
color, varied with dull ocher and
black. Such is the description of a
fine specimen, five inches long. seen
by the writer. who was informed that
when in the least disturbed or irritated
this insect makes a sound like the
squeaking of bat or mouse. From
this circumstance and the peculiar
mark on the back it is regarded by
superstitious people in several parts of
Europe as kind of i'll omen. and the
house entered by one of them is con-
sidered doomed to some awful calamity.
In France a convent of young ladies
was thrown into such CONSERVATION by
the appearance of one in dormitory
that they fled in dismay from the place.
and were with difficulty persuaded tc
return.
MIR. Meyer has spent the best por-
ton of his life in making his collec.
ton of moths and butterflies, which
together number 10000 different spe-
cies Specimens from every portion
of the globe have place in his cabinet.
Some of these he has purchased, others
have come into his possession by ex-
change. while the rest are the reward
of his enthusiastic labors. principally
in the vicinity of our own city. Ger
tainly he deserves all the praise that
one can bestow for efforts exerted to-
ward the advancement of science. and
his collection outside of q pecuniary
sense. Is valuable because it affords
some idea of the wonders of nature in
this line. and reminds US that like q
moth fretting her garment We shall all
be changed by Him who has given to
man and the moth each their appoint
ed place to fill in the great scheme Of
creation. -Brooklvn EQQIe.