Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-14

NKlhvHkNWEMhl In the neld, now
n WRNWxi' many have not at
bV some time been
taken with an i'm
pulse to gather as interesting an array of
plant forms as the few remaining weeks
before snow fall will permit? Conscious
ness OF inevitable departure prompts one
to seek memento for retention, and as
the young man or young woman who has
oeen SO well favored as to have time for
summer country rambling notices the grad
uaI disappearance Of many bright-winged
creatures that had added to the beauty of
the wild blossoms he will quite likely feel
prompted. II gifted with the instincts of
tne naturalist, to inaugurate before too
late, what he had delayed during the bet
ter summer months. Perhaps many a fine
collection has been originated at such q
time.
The ADMIRAL.
Much interesting material remains ex-
cept in the colder parts of the country.
Pass through an orchard, where the SUPER
abundant fruit lies decaying upon the
ground, large numbers Of a brilliant and
quick moving butterfly are likely to be met,
rather hard to take, because 30 nervous in
night, nlght. but worth the exercise of a little
patience and caution. It Is 1.-THE admiral. -
one or the few butterflies having q com
mon name; his notified red, white and
DlaGk wings. and generally great abundance.
insects
even the casual observer A name having
more OF significance Is pyrameis atalanta
One will not collect long before beginning
tne use OF the proper scientific terms and
ana necessity will need no demonstration.
Vanessa antiopa is a richly colored
cousin or the admiral" also favored with
a a, popular title, THE mourning cloak"
The greater area Of the handsomely de-
signed wing is a rich brown. This is
trimmed with a golden band running along
the margin Of the wings. The insect at
times Is abundant. and adds much to the
appearance of collection.
other late flying and strikingly marked
butterflies are those Of the interesting
genus grapta, allies Of vanessa, and pecu-
liar for the tortuous outline Of the wing
margins. Some species are INTERPRETATIONS.
comma and semicolon, 50 named because Of
silvery spots on the under surface Of the
wing, closely resembling the marks Of
punctuation. All butterflies that hibernate
may be captured late in the fall. Among
them the pretty sulphur yellow species Of
the genus colias. and the extensively dis
trinuted junonia coenia; notable for the
beautiful eye-ltke markings on its intri-
cateiy decorated wings. besides those above
mentioned.
A Pleasant Pastime.
For several reasons a passion for insect
collecting is one Of the best directions in
which q growing boys bubbling energies
may be guided. If fortunate enough not
to love the larks Of street gamins, he will
quite likely want to have a gun and kill
something, or aid in reducing the popula-
ton OF native songsters by getting to-
gether a great variety Of nest contents
generally done more in the spirit Of stamp
collecting than with view to the intelli-
gent study Of natural phenomena But
free from the discouragements and dan
gers of hunting with firearms and having
none OF the evils of nest robbing as a mere
sport is the pursuit of the always abund-
ant insect forms of field and forest A
few cents outlay covers the expenditure
the recreation is full Of excitement and In
struction without the slightest danger Of
loss OF life or limb, and the collector may
always return with something Of interest
and Of a character that will permit II to
become lasting pleasure. For the class Of
motive organs-is by far the most numer-
Gus and varied group of moving creatures,
and equal to any in point Of complexity
and popularity Of structure.
What In Needed.
One beginning a collection need provide
himself with only a net a small pocket
box for the field. some pins, a stretching
board or two and few drawers or even
merely empty cigar boxes in which tenn
porarily to preserve his material A yard
of mosquito netting, a piece Of heavy wire
fessional entomologists use a slender pin
made especially for their work. but the
ordinary kind will answer. A small and
cork is just the thing for a collecting box,
A collection of butterflies in glass covered
cases handsomely decorates library wall
but as the bright colors will fade after
years Of exposure to light the only perfect
way In which to preserve the delicate beau
ties is in vermin proof drawers.
The construction Of the stretching board
pine with grooves Of different widths q few
inches apart. To be quite correct 1t should
be made of three thin strips SO adjusted
that the wings will be slightly raised in
After the butterfly has been killed by the
compression of the thorax-the wings
should be touched as little as possible
or by immersion in vapor of ether or chior-
oform pin has been passed through the
body. The pin Is stuck in one Of the
grooves and the wings set in the proper
position and fixed by strips Of pasteboard
days, and that is all the preparation need
ed. The drawers should be charged with
some chemical offensive to insect pests.
\ Noted Collector.
One Of the most industrious Of insect
| collectors is Prof. Lawrence Bruner. the
state entomologist Of Nebraska During the
summer he takes between 500 and loo
specimens a day-a good number when one
remembers that ten hours cover only GOO
minutes. But he doesn't stop to pin in the
field and takes everything met, relaxing
the dried specimens in winter and then
mounting in proper shape. His is the
finest grasshopper collection in existence
containing propably all the known species
Of orthoptera in the world. He was COM
missioned to study the insect during the
grasshopper plague in the west. The Ag-
ricultura1 Department entomologist has
offered him 1000 for the splendid collec-
ton, but he declines to sell.
One summer day Prof. Bruner was dig
ging with his insect pick at a decaye3
stump in one Of the Rocky mountain states.
when two mountaineers approached, Think
ing the ertomologist's occupation at that
bodied and sane man, they queried:
Watcher dom that fer?"
For seven dollars day."
They at once drove on. He had discerned
the animus of the question, and had an
swered them with the only response which
their intellectual capacity could appreciate
Those capable of taking no wider and
higher view Of the business of living than
did these miners need not turn their atten-
ton to amateur entomology.
While a world of wonders entirely foreign
to the knowledge of but few is to be ex-
plored by gaining some familiarity with the
different orders of insects, the ants and
bees, the flies, the beetles, the bugs. the
grasshoppers and the dragon flies, as well
as the butterflies and moths, 1t is through
the latter that interest in this marvellous
class is generally awakened. Over bOOO
species of butterflies are known, and of
these 900 are North American forms and
ninety-fye occur in the limited area of Neu-