Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-01-04
SLEEPY DUSKY-WING.
Something About a Butterfly With a
Wonderful Pocket

The dusky-wing is one of a family
of small, sober-tintei butterflies, be-
longing to the tribe of shippers, So
called from their darting flight and
their bustling ways. One would
imagine the dusky wings fond of night,
or at least of shadow, for there is a
dreamy dusby- wing as we'll as our
sleepy dusky-wing, but they are butter
flies of the day, and like the open road
as well as moist places in the woods
Have you not often noticed, in driv-
ing, a small puddle in the road sur
rounded by perfect swarm Of butter
| flies, and seen them rise only to return
| speedily and after great deal of how
ering and posturing, alight in the same
place? You see, they have to arrange
it so that each butterfly may have
comfortable room for his wings beside
the puddle. Our special dusky-wing
| has very dainty tastes-althOugh she
! probably also visits puddles and
feeds chiefly on violets and blueberries
! in their season.
There are some interesting facts
about these butterflies in their earlier
caterpillar stage, which | will tell You
before describing the wonderful
pocket of the higher winged life The
caterpillars use silk for their nest
! Innings, and for their fastenings.
Juvenals dusky-wing lives on the oak,
and makes a nest from it's leaf, draw
ing its edges together with strands of
golden silk; and often dropping golden
curtains of a thin and delicate silk,
| like tissue, before its openings.
When it is ready to leave its old
house for a new one, which it does
whenever it casts off the old skin, II
never forgets to bite in two the golden
strands and let the leaf-hap fly back to
its natural position. Its last home
where it sleeps as a chyrsalis before
Iemerging as full-grown butterfly Is
fully lined with golden silk, for it may
have to remain there for many cold
days. If any accident happens to this
nest, it repairs the damage, but the
second silk lining is no longer gold
but white, like the white silk portiers
and Innings of its cousin, the dreamy
dusky- wing.
The male butterfys have the proud
privilege of a pocket but the pocket
of butterfly is wonderfully made. 1t
is really an extension of the under
wing folded back on the upper side, but
! IL is exquisitely colored and marked
like the upper side 50 that it is very
hard to detect, and no one has yet dis
covered just how it is opened, although
undoubtedly the butterfly can throw 1t
open while he is flying.
At first glance there seems to be
Ioniy white or amber-colored silk floss
within, but examine this with a mi
scroscope and You will find twisted
ribbons, slender rods shaped like a
shepherds crook, others jointed BAN
/ boo-like, and flexible rods and tiny
scales Of various sorts and patterns.
/ 1t is known that insects have a mar
yalously keen scent, and 1t is believed
Ithat all these odd little objects are
perfume boxes, and that the fragrance
so thrown abroad is a signal call for
THE female butterfly, which may be
wandering about in the air Il u.s. 10
say the least. a very interesting guess,
/ and there is much evidence to prove
| that butterflies and moths are sum
moned from great distances by odora
| that we would hardly notice.-Phila-
dephia Times.