New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-14
MOTH-MULLEIN.
pr THE AUTHOR OF "MEHALAH'" "oouRF
RoYAL,n ETC.

and the Essex sides OF the river: tie Menu slds,
with IFS pleasant chalk hils Gooas anu app ppm
orchards the Essex side mai, ueeieSS' rece"''s'"
eral of the London sewage! -, IN, o uoh
Above Greenhytbe the chalk hills are muSh
hgsssOTSed wsa sSc a chalk into
Further inland the hills are covered Win u n
and form that region so dear 10 EaturaiistsLLD1h o
cnth Wood. Now 10 one rniainllnr ,, MIN inc inc
disrriot who first traverses Darenth WOOD t1e
trees are calcu lated to excite SURPRISE Tor every
ether Is patched with viscous, sweet anu oaE ,S
and b he will ssGp 'PG aSe they
sort Of disease with which | am unfamiliar It
He viii be answered. Nothing OF the sOtS;
W Woe Is famous Ge for the rsrs epdoptera caught
in il. and it is for the Noctulna group tlaO uiS
collectors hunt here. They spread treacie anu ~
beer mixed, on tine trunks Of the trees, ana csCch
tie moths that are attracted by the. mixture.
There are as many ais three hunored BRUSH e speJeS
OF Hoctuina alone. Then there are tne DoiI ISo
cidae, which are not caught ny Teac hsr on q
collectors hutch out a female and place her on
tree, when numerous males OF the species gatner
about her. This method Is not peea .a, soss Sno
bles SO vigorously as that species it may, however
be satisfactorily tried with many Of the Lpsridae
and chelona3a Ss we F Puv womb ' minor
.kxaetly l merely asked about the smears,
OF course this moth-catching takes place only III
Not at all The Eriogaster lacustris appears
in February, and the Poeciloeampa, popuh III
November and DsSemSss oi S SoSfss Ee
At the edge OF Darenth Wood stood, and per;
haps stands still, little house; IL was lnhaDl.e9
by forester, q man who trimmed anu attenq qs,i
to the trees, thinning, pruning phnting. nus
name was Mullins; his wife was dead, pnt ne h1u
daughter of the age OF twenty remhrkapy
handsome girl Win clear Sop iS tSe sU Uia Looked
almosb white; it was not quite silver, but OF
yeDowish tinge, on amalgam OF gold ana slNe s
SIZE was tall and straight, had been spoiled by
lar foil lnOVinp herself TO be a lgnufy
was vain and coquet9sh.
II she had had only her fathers little wage to
dress on, she could not have adorned herself VITA
such good clothes as those she affected, but Jessie
Mullins had q subsidiary source Of income.she
herself collected and sold moths and butterflies
and she provided tea and supper for naturhliSts
coming 10 Dnrenth Wood for lepidoptera.
The little room in which naturatsts RECALLED
themselves whilst waiting for the proper time 70
sgcsr the trees was surrounded With cases n
which butterflies and moths were displayed with
spread wings. whole case containing many
varieties OF species, might be purchased, or else
some OF Jesie's small glass boxes, which she
wood, In which single specimen or pair oil
specimens was fastened by delicate pin to a
cork glued to the glass bottom ., .,..,,,0n. .,
British moths and butterflies as were TO be caught
IN parenth Wood, or the downs, or In the
chalk pits. Her skin ia setting up specimens tsd ems
delicate insects without brpising their wings OF
brushing of any Of their plumage.
Perhaps It was her observation Of the coloring
Of these beautiful insects that gave training 70
her eye and cultivated her taste Certain It is
that Jessie Mullins dressed becomingly. She never
wore colors that disagreed with her complexion
and hair. Her favorite tints were silver gray
and pearl, and she wore ribbon Of pink or blue,
but never much positive color. That caused ell
the naturaists who came TO Darenth Wood TO
say, Jessie Mullins dresses like lady. To look
ut her you would swear she was lady
Now this century is especially the age in which
natural history is prosecuted with ardor not only
by specialized professors but by schoolboys and
young men. Ny own son began collecting butterflies
when he was six, and have baby that catches
flies Accordingly Jessie had regular sale for
her collections, and throughout large part OF
the year had gatherings Of naturalsts old, middle
agrd and young, at her cottage, who desired TO
be provided with lanterns, treacle and ale, and q
supper when they returned from their chase in
the wood
Jessie was very much admired by the naturalists,
and hattefed by them she made herself agree
able 10 them. Who could say but she might some
motha
But, although the Bombycidae are caught, the
Bomhycidae eatchers would not be caught. They
were ready TO joke with Jessie Mullins, futter
about her. keep up simmering Irritation, but
that was oil. Jessie was too naughty TO consider
tho pretensiens Of those Of her own class. Those
who ventured to approach were thrust of For
some time two or three of O genus above her own
did buzz about her and were not absolutely re-
peiled--they were tolerated but they retired, all
Of their own accord, One there was, one man
persistent unabashed, whom no rebuff would
Danish, about whom more presently.
Tom Redway, the young plasterer, had been
the girl, what is plasterer? p She sent him up
an cak tree TO catch Purple Emperors-gorgeous
butterflies that fly high, and hover about the tops
OF the king Of the British sylvia.
So high do these splendid creatures fly that
to catch them ring net must be affixed to pole
forty feet long. But who can manage net with
tns dex red nesded-'ha' Is at the END OF 50
Tom climbed an oak and brandlsbed pole with
net Ia vain throughout q day and caught
nothing. Then Jessie laughed at him for his
pains. He must be fool not TO know that the
Purple Emperor loved homemade go0seberry wine,
and might be entieed from. his aerial attitudes
BY bowl of that liquor After this Tom was SO
by Jessis Mullins that be kept away from Darentb
Wood and the foreeters daughter, and soon after
ft was said out Of spite-marrisd spinster ten
years older than himself.
The next to hover round Jessie was Joseph
Ruddle, the carpenter. She sent him IN quest
Of the caterpiilers Of the rare Cinxia, that were
to BE- found in webs about plantains halfway
dawn the aide Of the chalk cliffs.
Joe had fallen in his efforts TO carry up web
Of the caterpiIlar and had broken his leg. After
that joseph Ruddle went no more up the lane
TO the cottage OF thu forester
Sam Underwood was another admirer. He was
young farmer. She encouraged him after
fashion. match with him would not be bad
one at al. But Jessie .trlfed with him; she was
sets It humming, then another, and keeps score
in vibration of once Sam did not appreciate
thia, lie thought she carried on little too much
With young Oxford man, son OF Parkinson the
brewer, and, in dudgeon, he withdrew.
There was o fourth, an owner Of large straw
berry fields, from which he supplied the London
market; sleepy man who took long TO make up
his nnipd. She bewildered him with her learned
talk about lepidoptera, and became silent when
he ought 70 have spoken, and no touches at last
brought any CULVER in his heart, or sound out Of
him.
There WIS q fifth, Mr.. Parkinson, but Jessie
was not sure that he was sincere q vain and
impudent young man.
And there was sixths who would not be
shaken Of, little Dicky Duck, an active cheerful
Always ready in any quarter to make himself
usefsil BE was usuailys called In 20 assist the
,,<,frrnlats as night in the wood. He carried the
lantern or painted the tree boles. He was not 50