Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-11-21
The Professors Butterfly.
By H. A. Dryden

logical society in 1SS- was the pro-
duction, by Prof. Parchall, f. Il. S.
f. L. s., one of the oldest and most
enthusiastic members of the society, Of
a new and remarka BILE species Of
"Achraea," hitherto quite unknown to
science. The professor was radiant
and suffused with happiness. He had
long been an ardent collector in Eng
land and Europe, but only recently
had he turned his footsteps to the
far-0ff lands south of the equator. 1t
had been the dream of his life. And
now, having lately resigned his chair
at Cambridge at the age of 60, at his
first essay in Cape Colony, a region
fairly well known to entomOlogists, he
discovered a species.
The new butterfly, which, it ap-
peared from paper read by the pro-
fessor, had been found in some num-
berS, but within very limited area
"a mere Speck of cOuntry-Was shown
in a carefully constructed case. There
were sixteen specimens; and it was
settled that The butterfly was to be
known to science as "Achraca Par
chelli," thus perpetuating the professor
and his discovery to the ages yet IN
born. The one thing particularly when
marked the insect out from among
its fellows was very striking. u on
the upper side of the hindwings, right
in the center, there appeared a COM
plete triangular space of silver, evenly
b0rdered by circular black markings.
This popularity, which was shared by
male and female alike, was very beau
ttful and very marked; and the en-
thusiastic collectors gathered at the
society's meeting were af the box of
specimens was passed from hand to
hand, al delighted with re new treas
ure. AS for the professor himself,
never except perhaps in that supreme
moment when he had discovered with
in his net this new wonder, hi he
experienced such a glow of n ture
and of triumph.
Among the fellows of the society
met this evening sat Horace Maybold,
a good-looking young man of siX-and-
twenty, who, having some private
means and an unquenchable thirst for
the collection of butterflies, spent most
Of his time in going to and fro upon
the earth i'm search of rare species.
Horace had Travelled in many lands
and had made a good many diScOv,
cries well known to his brethren; and
70 hD .po TIM
tention TO the "AchIaeinae," the very
family in which Prof. Parchell had
made his mark. The new butterfly
interested him good deal. Naturally
he at once burned to possess it in his
own collection, and, after the meeting
broke up, he approached the professor
and sounded him on the subject In
his paper read to the society, that
gentleman had IA Their vaguely describ-
ed the habitat of the new species as
lin the eastern province of Cape Col
ony, in a small and compact area
within fifty miles of the east bank
of the Sundays river" But 1t ap-
peared very quickly that the profess
Sor for the present was unwilling to
part with any of his specimens-even
for an adequate cOnsideratiOn-Or to
impart the exact locality in which
the new species was to be found.
Horace had rather reckoned upon
this. but he was none the less Il lit
tie chagrined at the old gPntleman'S
cloSenesS.
mo, my dear sir had replied the
professor to his inquiries. Il can't
part with any of my specimens, eX-
cept to the Natural History Museum,
to which | intend to present a pair.
AS for the precise habitat, l intend
ahem!-for the present to reserve the
secret to myself. 1t is a pardonable
piece of SelfiShness-or shall | term
it self-preservation? you, as a col
lector. must admit. | intend to re-
new my acquaintance With the spot
towards the beginning of next winter,
that is, the summer of the cape. When
| have collected more specimens, |
may publish my secret to the world
hardly before.
Horace looked keenly at the face of
the clean, pink and white old gentle
man before him. There was no CON-
promise in the set of the firm lips, Or
the blue eyes beaming pleasantly from
behind the gold-rimmed Spe"tacles,
and so, with a polite sentence or two
on his lips, but with some yeXation at
his heart, Horace Maybold turned
away and went down to his club.
During the rest of that summer HOr-
ace was pretty much occupied, yet his
memory never let quit its grip of the
professor and his new butterfly. He
had upon his wrting-table the colOred
plate from scientific magazine
whereupon was depicted that rare
species;' and as he refreshed his mem
DRY with it now and again, he deter
mined more than ever to possess HIM
self of specimens of the original. AS
far as possible he kept a sharp eye
on the professors movements until the
middle of September, when, happen
ing to return from town from a few
days shooting, he ran across the ole
gentleman in Ticcadilly.
well, professor" said Horace, gent
ally, chow goes the world with you
1 suppose you will be leaving England
for the Cape again presently"
YES" returned the old gentleman
who seemed in excellent spirits; Il eX
pect to be sailing early in October
I want to have a fortnight or NOR