Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-29
MAKE BOGUS BUTTERFLIES.
some People Do u Good Business
COunterfeiting Insects.

Some People Do a Good Business In
COunterfeiting Insects.
From the New York Press
To take common butterfly or moth and
transform 1t into beautifully marked
specimen worth a good price is the bust
ness Of the butterfly duster," and SO well
is the work performed that only an expert
OF lifelong experience can detect the fraud.
The markings are produced by applying
to the wings fine dust by means of a deli
cate spray. and these prepared powders
are kept In every shade Of color ready for
use.
A certain dealer. who was absolutely
above suspicion, and used to show, by the
way in which he refurnished damaged
specimens of rare moths and butterflies,
that this busting could be done to per-
lection.
tanning much valued monstrosities is to
take one bit from one insect and another
from another, and then to join all the frag-
ments together. so as to make one appar-
emily perfect specimen. This combining can
be done so perfectly as to defy detection,
even with the microscope
Many insects that are common in Europe
are very rare and worth golden sovereigns
In the United States. but there are minute
points OF differences that even the amateur
collector can detect. But the astute dealer
with all his appliances. removes the points
of differences with the result that hundreds
of collectors have in their cases specimens
worth large sums IL they were genuine that
were caught and then busted, glued, dyed
and generally manipulated
Inere nave been great developments m
fraud of late years Say that an insect that
has not been seen in this country for years
Is found in given locality and scores of
WeH-to-do enthusiasts will go to the place
In the hope Of catching another specimen
artful ones get hold of living specimens of
some insect rare here, but common abroad
turn one out in a given district and then set
a report of its capture about. They. in
point of fact, plant specimens here and
there and then lead the unsuspecting coll
lector to the spot and offer faxed" speci-
mems.
Even common caterpillars have by means
or dyes been wholly transformed. Hair and
other artificial colors are added, so as to
transform them into the exact likeness of
extremely rare species and these are Sold
for considerable sums
But, most astonishing of ALL there i a
notable foreign dealer who makes it his
boast that he has sold at high prices hum
dreds OF specimens Of his artificial chrysalis
"a chrysalfs made of india rubber and
other things-from which was expected 10
emerge by the innocent purchaser one of
the rarest moths known. Thousands Of
collectors-and not always youthful ones,
Der chrysalis.
In no line do the men who can make an
india rubber chrysalis and dye the hair
or caterpillars show more activity than in
tnat or making rare birds eggs to order for
the young collector. The sham eggs are of
two kinds. In some cases there Is a great
ma tural resemblance save as to one or two
markings between eggs that are very COM
mon ana others that are equally rare and
In this case the common egg has supplied to
II the markings that are peculiar to the
rare one. This is done so artfully that the
color is added In all but indelible. and there
of hnr at,.rn
lngs are removed so entirely with a combi-
nation of chemical acids that only the
microscope In the hands Of an expert can
detect where they have been
But much more ingenuity is -expected on
the class of shams where the shells have
been absolutely fabricated BY means Of
molds, pigments and material which per-
fectly resembles the natural shell substance
rare egg Is made and so well 1t is done
especially by the French dealers-that even
experts often have been deceived