New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-14
A FASCINATING SIGHT.
THE BUTTERFLY FARM AT THE 700.


The collection of tropical butterflies ana moths rs
reared in the geological Gardens; and GNhll,"a IL
the rooms of The Royal society s %''h , mr,'
in electrical and mechanical Invention Mni.n W." p,
there illustrated in such bwldrrlmg xnmnc, Of
the frai and fantastic forms Whlcl ny "I-l' ~ ~
place taken by The hnmmng bird, bY Gay III 1s
stcamlng tropical forest lave lived In the Preclnc,
Of a London park T. suif lent Justification, u any DE-
required, for their presence among snch biac,Ki n
progressive surrounding Readers OF h@'i"'r
Chlllingly," Of the latest and most eAtravasam
Buwer Lytons romanecs may rememD'r ,na' nj.
heroine I, to keep pet bn'icThic, In cafe1, ana Il"
she'd floods of tears over their nnlim'y u'an; gno
manage things better In The butterfly farm 1T me HoE'
WHERE the brilliant insects. after thcir bn'i aaN
Of 'y living k@ no III of GS& {' pcmr %
figure anew In the list OF additions 10 the coicc'on
u II would be difficult TO picture more elegant or
more Interesting sight than The Matching OF NE b'
crs broods in The inset Ions an. las p cu IS
filed With damp moss and earth ana 40 rned MN
portions Of r" trunk Or b Plan h, s" rsS 10 i and Ia
cate creatures. as one after hhother scpaih''S w."
from the ehry a Ca" IN wr' n, Har p W, w
and uncertain movements, exposes Its inli beauties
10 the light, Tns wing" o, ine 1 moth n ar a. vide
~ those Of misSel thrush; and the gr'., SIC o.
this and other species ncren,e, the s.r"ns oaor
bird forms which is 10 married, even IN IN. ,hnl"i
English hawk moths The giant NON, OF IA" ti"P
and features not devoid Of expression. some r.,
,emblc birds: Others cats. some are covered WI"
long. soft plumaee. like the feather. Of rhe mI"H""'
the piumcs OF s"nns. oth"!s are "iiaPPn H., ;" 80
silky mantle Ike an Angora kitten. or clothed ID er
min and able tn" d"p n. sn 10 Sro Them Ss
gcs Itself NJ once Vet when IN" head keeper m
lifis hi> hawk the feeling that ny "' i,,
moths animals. but long-wlnged DTS, j. "d.nN
irr,s.stiblc Form and texture suggest cnhlc'-
nnslories with higher animals but the scheme Of
color IL peculiar Ia III" tribe 81 which these nt'
The most "auilin c'ampr' vo IN or g x ' of phi"h at
the time Of the writer's last visit 20 ne 100 wcr
bark Of nm ancient oak trunk The body seem, tn'na
wrapped IN feathers. and. Hike th. WINS, Is "i ~"
exqnls,c moled gray s color Hl 'nr ns
part 81 the wings are boldly painted H'p, rn
In coloring Of all The wings are Of III" mir,,
faint color I, only broken by few crescent spots o.
darker tint But n" whole 81 NE front 'hS, %
red wine. The body +, wrapped in th,k and down,
feathers Of the purc,i while" rom which th' 80,
legs and feet emery stained TO -, m3 nl1 l ID.
lying back aganS, the dark shouldcrS. are th" fern
snaped anienac Of p1G Gnp 1@' crnn e rIvr
color and white; but thee are 80 Graded ana o.,
G int cx 1ma % the S" lr % IG ~ns r @
and downy body, and The d"l'at" hr,hhr irsS' ln''
painters dream than one among hundreds OF SIX
producing insects We once heard The generic amer
certainty whch was due 10 the youth Of The sp'ah'r
Angels have birds wings, and fairies ha'e bt'r
The dricnIiy rniscd Imps. too have bats wing.
Iiu tho wing Of the moth have no' YET been ap
donizens Of the air. There IS soi,ncss and rc'eryr
Of coorns ana an uncertainty 3 outline 'onr,hn
distinct from the sharply cut and brilliantly cooI"i
forms Of their butterfly relations. p'rh,ps NE moI
brightly colorcd moths which raised In the hon,'
arc the Eaclcs RECALLS. which arc covered with net
of orange, rivallng IN color ,he inner n%'h el
Eacics inperlaIs. IN which an exquisite shade Of
old rosc' invadcs md Is lost IN rich crenn'-
not H. least beautiful The CLAM, moths Is -,
splendid ercntnr" from tLe cocoon, Of wmcl IN" wi
finer moth than that which produce, The him. me-,
tusso'slIh 1t, wing are ~od goa. IN c '. w VII,
color. These according 10 IIindoo snpcr,iltIom ar.
he finger OF nc GOD vn i'm, ac ana IT, u TIfSr
among the wild demon worshippinc sanhal. that the
Indian s moth has h h. 1 ,r on ho Witch foG Gc" a."
covered with thousands OF the cocoons, which are
Gathered by hcse wild rns ana , ,"a 70 n tue roce s
line the eases at the TOO each with he living pupa
inside. The coccons ar, beautiful oh.rE IN 'h"m
hanging bv stalks firmly twisted 10 the supporting
twgs like rows Of melons. Their color var"s through
over" ,v ''' Ike The egg OF yellow hammer with inc
irregular dark purple line The SIX THREADS Of
Tide The ordinary nosssilk Of Europc and It Is to
this Fat and Irregular form Of III" thread That The
be doubted whether the cultivation Of the Tussor
moth will spread TO the west like that OF ~" common
this and probably others Of the fifty nine species Of
silk. prodncIng larvae which were exhibited in pie
Colonial and Indian Exhibition vii become an addition
oil source Of wealth 10 the wide forest regions OF our
indian Empire. In their scheme OF color the butter
t,os are the moths what the fabrics Of Europc are
the webs 81 Cashmere or the carpets ~ Dagh"stan
4 q the lovely swnllowail"d herlirs may now
iultcring In their cage. Tie bottom 81 their
glass mansion is covered with short pieces Of oscr
q tunnel AZ the end Of which lies the pnpa OF that
strange Instance OF protective mimicry. the hornet
clearwing Another case Is fun Of the scarce pal"
variety Of the swallow tail. and third Of the Amcri
can swaliowta the female Of which is black spaneled
perhaps the most beautiful Of all the butterfly broods
is the swarm Of Papilio CrcSphones The ease Is fun
Of these lovely butterflies. black above With beaded
spots of pale yellow yellow below with beaded lines
~ black. When last seen ly the writer. some were
living from side 10 side Of the cage; some had
nlghted were in the net OF alighng. and others
Among the butterfly cages * glass ease which. |
has never failed excite the utmost Interest and
curiosity. on the floor Of the box, partly sheltered
tons. with rcd-gold centre lighter gold setting |
edged by round scml-irnnsparnt rim " watched |
invisbl. legs and pcrhap, suddenly splits. puts
cut pair ~ wings and flies. These astonishing |
beetles which are at present unnamed, are from
on their backs n" unaor.!de Of golden beetle APP
rim. Trapdoor spiders also flourish In the insect |
house. and have made several caves. with most In |
On "'ss e of G""r1 sqS
irregular IN SHAPE made 10 nj the surface Of the hole
which as sn spd., ,s rI and are q an a, Size @
fits the orice, however irregular It's SHAPE. and IS
elcvery ,Ss fsh win pieces Of wood and cnn
surrounding bark and even a prying 1T might omit
e probe i With s I'm S spdsSI Is
May.ny. will wait for no mans leisuIs