The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-12
DAY AND NIGHT.


was in Hartford this week. with his re-
markable collection of butterflies and
moths and gave private view Of these
interesting insects by invitation to the
friends of the Hartford Scientific soci-
ETY., under whose auspices Mr.. Denton
came here.
The Post says: There are several
hundred day butterflies and night but
terfiles or moths on exhibition, ranging
In size from 10 inches across the wings
and six inches long to the tiny one
inch specimen. They are of nearly all
shades and of many shapes, and the
moths that fly in the daytime, of which
there are few specimens, are almost
as gaudy in color as the day butterflies.
The most valuable specimen in the
collection Is a native of India. He Is Of
a greenish hue with gray and yellow
stripings, and has three tails" or pro-
jections on the lower edge of the wing.
He Is worth about SIS. A bird wing
butterfly from Australia has bright
yellow body with most beautiful green
and black wings. Another specimen
from Mexico is nearly white. 1t Is
called by the natives, ".the Holy Spir-
| it," and by less superstitious peope,
1.-THE Bride"
A BEAUTIFUL velvety black butterfly
with vivid green slashes is another
handsome fellow. The most gaudy
specimen is medium sized butterfly
from China. 1t is greenish in color,
shading to orange and yellow and is
very beautiful. There are many more
interesting specimens, one of them
| which is of a dull brown color, being
able to fold itself on a twig so as to ex-
actly resemble dead leaf.
The superlatively beautiful speci-
| mems of the collection are those which
Mr.. Denton has collected in foreign
| countries, largely in the tropics, al
| though some of the largest and strong
| est flyers are from Australia, where he
| spent three years In scientific study. In
this department Of the collection are
several varieties of the bird-wing but
| terfiies, which fly to a great height and
are caught by the natives, who climb
to the top of the talIest trees and wait
for them with nets.
| IT, myself, have shot them with a
gun" said Mr.. Denton, "using fine shot.
This destroys their value as specimens,
but they can be used as decoys with
which to attract other butterflies"
| To look at these large insects with
| wings five and six inches across and
their comparatively light bodies, Mr..
Denton's shotgun story can well be
believed. One of the dainty specimens
in the collection is the moth that is
known as the "Holy Spirit by the
Mexicans, because Of it's silvery white
ness and it's wondrous satin gloss. 1t
has faint circles on the under side of
its wings, which show through the sat
in surface, making delicate bit OF
color to offset the white, silvery sheen.
Some of the largest and most gorgeous
in color Of the moths are from India
and Ceylon and have an iridescence
ranging from the brightest pink to the
deepest blue, the light Transforming
the wings into many shades interven-
ing. S.4.4
One of the Ceylon moths has an ex-
ceedingly rich dark, velvety hue with
stipples of bright green upon the wing
/ giving to the insect a rare beauty. The
4 Brookiana moth from Borneo IS one OF
the rare specimens, exquisite in shape
of wing and with delicate coloring OF
sheeny and iridescent. Another which
seems to have all the range of colors
in the rainbow is from China. The At
ticus Atlas, the largest moth known, is
represented by specimen which has
wings fully six inches in spread anc
much longer in the length from heat
to tail.
There are two fine specimens Of the
leaf butterfly, the insect that has &
brilliant hue when it's wings are open
but when closed and perched upon
twig bears so close a resemblance to
leaf that it's enemies would never mis-
trust that it was anything but a leaf
The Cyrus and the Cynthus are beauti
full specimens from Brazil and British
Columbia, and the Opal moth from
Brazil is one Of the rarities of the col
lection. 1t is rightly named by the ma
tives, as it carries upon its wings al
the shades Of fire opal and seems tt
be as susceptible to the light.
Mr.. Denton and his three brother
,, and sister have Travelled almost al
over the world in pursuit of their fav
orite science and are very enthusiastic
collectors and dealers in these insets
Mr. Denton has recently written
comprehensive article which will ranl
among the highest authorities on tn
subject of moths and butterflies. I
. will be beautifully Illustrated with pic
lures made from the actual impression
of preserved insect and the colors ar
, thus brought out in a manner impossi
BILE by any other method.