The record-union., 1893-12-06
q 5sal gazing 71ntuocr.

science the owner proceeds to write
description of his new treasure and to
give it name. This is duly printed in
the journals OF entomology, and the speci-
men becomes the type" OF that descrip-
tion and name forever more. II Is the
original and for ali time the most valua-
bic specimen. because it is the standard
by which future generations study and
recognize.
These types have q value scarcely to be
written In figures, for they are never
offered for sale, though, when from pow
erty collector has been forced TO part
with his collection. or by death, the sur
Vlving widow becomes possessed OF what
she is compelled to turn into money, the
presence OF these type" insects will
always enhance the purchase price into
the thousands of dollars. When / say,
therefore, that the NeumOegen collection
contains over three thousand types" in
one way l give the public an idea or Its
importance.
In Bulletin No. a, just issued by the
United States, is given description fail
the NOctuids in North America, and IT IS
here stated that fifteen per cent. OF all the
types are in this great collection.
Another idea may be formed from this.
The great Edwards collection recently
purchased for our museum cost $1,000,
and the Neumoegen collection IS more
than five times as large and important.
In fact, if MIR. Neumoegen could be per-
Suaded to part with his collection, and it
could be obtained by our museum, with
what it already has it would then possess
the greatest collection in the world, sur
passing even that OF the British Museum.
RICH IN VARIETIES.
The collection. besides its types, is
wealthy in varieties, which are variations
from typical form and which prove the
DarWinian theory OF evolution, repre-
senting gradual deviation from form
which will eventually produce a new
species III alterations, which are curl
Gus forms, freaks Of nature, remaining
unique perhaps forever; in hermaphrod-
ties, where we see the two sexes united
in single individual, perhaps the blue
wings OF the female coupled with the
green wings of the male, or the wings OF
one sex with body and autennae OF the
other; and in hybrids, rare forms pro-
duced artilicially by mating different
species OF the same genus and then rear
ing the larva until the butterfly emer ges
a curious admiXture OF its parents.
MONEY VALUE OF BUTTERFLIES.
Butterflies have a commercial value
That is to say, there are professional deal
ers who issue catalogues in which one
finds the names, with prices affixed.
These prices vary from 10 cents to $500.
But fine types" beautiful and rare
'varities" and wonderful "uniques'' are
practically priceless. For example, one
of the gems of the NeumOegen collection
is his wonderful Papilio Neumoegen.
This insect, the only one of its kind ever
captured, was taken in the Island of
SumbaWa, southeast of Java. Received
~. l.. Il H..
Neumoegen at once concluded that it
was new to science. He sent to Europe,
risking its loss, and experts there de-
cided that he was right. Honrath, the
celebrated entomOlogist, begged the priv
ilege of describing 1t, and named it in
honor of its discoverer 1t has figured
recently in the annals OF the Eerlin En-
tomological Society. 1t is of wonderful
metallic green. Special expeditions have
been sent to the locality several times
since, i'll the hope Of finding another. but
this one still remains unique. l asked
Mr.. Neumoegen what it is worth. Here
is his answer:
'Who can say? It is the only one in
the world. Suppose you offer me 81 900,
which l certainly would refuse, l could
say to you, / will give you y, 1000 for its
mate and you could never fill my order.
Then it is worth $1,000, is it not? But it
is worth more, for money cannot buy it.''
This is good reasoning, but | can safely
say that if it were sold at auction in Lon
dor in would bring a thousand dollars at
least.
SOME FAMOUS SPECIMENS.
I will now mention few names,
which, however uninteresting they may
be to the INITIATED will make feeling of
envy rise in the heart OF every collector
throughout the world who reads them,
Z No
treasures found nowhere else.
In this wonderful collection one Inay
see a perfect male and female of Orni-
thopteria NictorIse from the Solomon
Islands. CuriOuSly enough, the male IS
worth $780, while the female is only
valued at $40. But here are wonderful
examples of Magellanus, Miranda and
Lydlus, the females valued at $50, while
the males are cheaper. Here is the true
Amphrysus and Brookiana, usually rep
resented by spurious species OF another
genus which resembles it, and here a
wonderful variety, 0. Schoenhergii.
Among the great group Papllio there
are many raritIes and priceless things.
Papilio Antlmachus from the upper
Congo, of which the female is unknown.
The male is worth from go to SI00, and
here are live perfect specimens. Near it
is PapiliO Alcidinus, OF which only three
are known. MIR. Neumoegen has refused
$500 Tor the male, and the female, though
lattered, being the only one ever found,
is in his opinion, worth $1,000. No offer
OF money could procure his marvellous
example OF PaDi!iO hOmeruS, from ,Ja-
malca. Other priceless gems in this
group. represented by perfect specimens,
are Papillos ldeaoides. from the Philip
pines; Nelovis, from Menado Island;
Schoen bergiandS from BOrneO; AtrOpOs,
from Palayan; GiDbei from Bankai;
Onesimus. from Celebes. OF these there
are three which Mr.. Neumoegen iokingly
calls .'the ladies iii white" being White
varieties of black insect: q male and
female of Kuhnei, from Celebes; Procles,
from B0rneO, NiechOwi, from Cameroons,
and many more.
La another case is magnificent female
specimen OF Telnopalpus Imperialis.
rarely seen III good condition. Among
the snow butterflies, insects that inhabt
only snoW-cOVered countries, are Par
! nassius Eversmanii from Alaska; Chart
j tonious, from Tartary, and Imeprator,
the females of which have enormous
+ horny pouches. These are gems.
Here are fine specimens OF That's Hon
! noratii from the Pyrenees, and Lycena
Xerxes, from California, both of which
are now extinct, and will therefore never
! be captured again.
THE AsIATIC GROUP.
OF the wonderful Asiatic group, Eup-
/ loea, the individuals of which seem to be
arrayed in yelvets of the most brilliant
/ blues, green's, black, crimson and orange
! this collection shows complete exhibit.
every species being we'll represented a
most wonderful insect is Satyrus Argen-
teus, from the mountains in Chile whose
wings are exactly as though cut from
/ bright silver. In another place is the en-
IOnOrS Worlds Fair.
Z ~