The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-08
BUTTERFLIES INVADE CITY.
THOUSANDS OF 1HEM SUDDENLY Az
FEARED YESTERDAY.

Como OF n Highly Interesting Genus.
Thousands OF butterflies OF the genus Danaus
appeared In various parts q Sreater New York
yesterday and spent the day here. The city il
painfully familiar with the occasional advent
OF winged swarms from New Jersey. resulting
In general loss OF blood and an acquisition
| OF diversified bumps in no wise to be regarded
| rs compensation; but purely ornamental and
quite harmless insect visitation such as that OF
yesterday is novelty to tho average New
Yorker. though the oldest inhabitant may pos
sibly remember instances. Not even In future
developments can tho fragile winged visitors
be regarded as noxious. for their LARVAE, which
VIII be Matched out some time next spring.
feed on the IN TX weed. plant whose dim mutton
would not be regarded with grief by anybody.
Whence the throng camo is matter OF con-
lecture Perhaps It followed the course OF tho
Hudson River. for within the last few days
swarms OF butterflies have been reported from
Kingston and the vicinity OF Poughk eepsic. 1t
10 more probable. however. that tho lepidop-
terra are home product. sprung from chrys-
Aides that have been dangling in the fields and
copses OF upper New York and outer Brooklyn.
and spreading over the city in their virgin
flight. As soon as the SUP had warmed up the
atmosphere yesterday morning. the DanaidR
spread their red sails to the breeze and set
out on torr OF ex ploratlon. And there waan't
much OF the town that they didn't BEE. They
futtered and lighted and futtered again in all
the trees OF the parks and squares: they peered
In at high Office windows and steered tor
tuois course. hcad-high among the hurrying
crowds In the streets: they made their way to
tho waterfront and lodged among the bare
masts OF the tisdup SHIPPING. doubtless WON
dering greatly at finding there forest OF trees
without branches or yerIure: they caught
rides on the roofs OF cable cars. clinGng val
iantly with their long legs against the rush OF
the air: they got confused and tangled In the
gigantic spiderweb OF cables that upholds the
Brooklyn Bridge; they sailed down avenues in
sQuadrons OF a hundred or so. only to scatter
and spread and bunGle into mems faces. and
investigate the extraordinary flowers that grew
and are honeylsss in the feminine hat: turned
the eyes OF the METROPOLITAN urchin to higher
things and gave him a lot OF exercise. and
they reused the indignation OF the infestinR
sparrow. who brooks no other winged thing in
his air IL he can help it. But he couldn't help
1t in this case. for the Danaus can Join the
sardine in his assurance to the skunk: Il
belong to tho smell family myself" and not
the sparrow or any other bird can endure tho
personal atmosphere OF this butterfly though
1t is barely perceptible to the human nostril.
There was great time in City Hall Park
when the lepidoptere appeared. Those news
boys and bootblacks who possessed hats i'm
mediately made use OF them il the chase and
those who didn't contrived bats out OF news
papers with which to smite tho prey to the
ground. Tho park wasn't a safe place TO wan
der In. for at any moment one was likely to
suffer the impact OF a rushing urchin. going at
full speed after a specimen that kept jauntiy
few feet above and ahead OF him. The Sun
reporter saw several estimable citizens dou bled
up as II with collie, the point OF attack being the
am nj he hat
instead Of internal. 1t was good hunting In
the City Hall jungle before the insects finally
became wise enough TO keep out OF reach. for
the Danaus 10 as heavy and lumbering In his
wits as he Is In his flight. but once
thoroughly alarmed he can fly high
and long. Before noon. however, there
was hardly youngster in the park who hadn't
At least one specimen. and many had three
or four. or half dozen pinned upon their
clothes as ornaments. In Wall street the mes
senger boys rallied to the chase and made
many captures. Some specimens few into the
Office windows OF the high buildings and were
annexed az wall ornaments by the simple IL
cruel process of transflxture with a pin In
lower Broadway there SO large q swarm shortly
before loon that the sidewalks were block cd
with interested spectators OF the novel sight
All over Brooklyn the butterflies were thick.
Every tree along the streets formed the basis
for little convention. The broad lawns Of
Prospect Park were alive with them. Morning
players on the golf links reported great num-
bers OF them along the close cropped green's.
In one field on the Crescent Athletic Club links
at Bay Ridge there was a swarm which was
estimated at 800. and 1t was not migrating but
rose when disturbed only to settle down again
upon the grass. One Of the players brought In
specimen with broken wings which he de-
clared had been killed In M effort to light upon
a golf ball while in full fight from tho driver
He also put in plea for repetition OF the stroke
on the ground OF undue providential interfer-
enee. but this was disallowed. Ferryboot pas
snRers from Brooklyn reported that the boats
were conveyed across the river by mum bers OF
the insects. man who has made a study OF
lepidopterB was asked by a Bun reporter yes
terday for an explanation OF the swarm
1T may be a migration he said Some
times these butterflies migrate In great mum,
bsrs. am Inclined to believe. however, that
this swarm was Matched on tho prem ises The
colors OF the specimens which have seen to-
day are bright and fresh. indicating that they
have recently come from the chrysa,is They
are undoubtedly a second brood. which tho
recent succession OF warm, bright days has
brought out In great numbers. 1t Is impossi-
BILE to say what will become of them. They
may stay here or they may go inland or they
waves have seen shores lined with the dead
milkweed butterflies. Whatever they do,
there is no harm in them and they serve at
least one good purpose in being beautiful to
look at"
Scientifically considered the butterfly visitor
is the Ddnus Pierippus. 1t is OF rich red
dish hue with Just a tinge OF brown, and its
wings are ribbed with black lines 1t spreads
about four inches across the wings. BY col
leotors it is not highly esteemed. as It Is COM
mon ard easily captured Nevertheless in
all stages OF development it is one OF the most
splendid of our insects. Tho larva is the tiger
striped worm. common on milk weed plants
during the spring and summer. Its chrysalis
10 house OF fairy beauty pea green. studded
with brilliant gold dots. The butterfly itself
would take high place in any insect beauty
show because OF the uniform richness OF it's
colorngs. though many Of the lepidopterR oi
this section surpasst in brilliancy and vareGa-
tion ofhue. The DdnuS HPTippus is true Amer