Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-08-30
MAKE BOGUS BUTTERFLIES.
People Who Do n Good Business I'm
COunterfeitinE the Insects
for the Market.

To take a common butterfly or
moth and transform it into a beauti-
fully marked specimen worth a good
price, is the business of the "butter-
fly duster," says the New York Press,
and so well is the work performed
that only an expert of lifelong ex-
p~erience can detect the fraud.
The markings are produced by APP
plying to the wings a fine dust by
means of a delicate spray, and these
prepared powders are kept in every
shade of color ready for use.
A certain dealer, who was absolute
ly above suspicion, and used to show,
by the way in which he refurnished
damaged specimens of a moths n
butterfys, that this busting" could
be done to perfection.
One of the devices of the "faker"
for obtaining much valued monstros-
tiles is to take one bit from one in
sect and another from another, and
then to join all the fragments to-
gether, so as to make one apparently
perfect specimen. This combining
can be done so perfectly as to defy
oCICSI1Oh, CNSh VIII Tic ~ OSCOPCs
Many insects that are common in
Europe T very rare and worth
golden ~sovereigns in the United
States, but there are minute points
of difference that even the amateur
collector can detect. But the astute
dealer, with all his appliances, re-
moves the points of differences with
the result that hundreds of collectors
have in their cases specimens worth
large sums if they were genuine that
were caught and then busted. glued,
dyed and generally manipulated.
There have been great develop
ments in fraud of late years. Say
that an insect hat has not been seen
in this country for years is found in
a given locality, and scores of we'll
TODD enthusiasts will go to the place
in the hope of catching another speci-
men-artful ones get hold of living
specimens of some insect rare here
but common abroad, turn one 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
collector to the spot and offer faxed
specimens.
Even m caterpillars have by
means of dyes been wholly trans
formed. Hair and other artificial col
ors are added, so as to transform
them into the exact likeness of ex-
tremely rar species and these are
sold for considerable sums.
But, most astonishing of all, there
is a notable foreign dealer who makes
it his boast that he has sold at high
prices hundreds of specimens OF his
artificial chrysalis-a chrysalis made
of india rubber and other things
from which was expected to emerge
by the innocent purchaser one of the
rarest moths known. Thousands of
collectors-and not always youthful
india rubber chrysalis.
In no line do the men who can
make an india rubber chrysalis and
dye the hair" of caterpillars show
more activity than in hat of making
rare birds eggs to order for the
young collector. The sham eggs are
of two kinds. In some cases there is
a great natural resemblance save as
to one or two markings, between
eggs hat are very common and others
that are equally rare, and in this
ease the common egg has supplied to
it the markings that are peculiar to
the rare one This is done SO artfully
that the color is added in all but in
delible, and there are cases where
other natural markings are removed
so entirely with a combination of
chemical acids that only the micro
scope in the hands of an expert can
detect where they have been.
But much more ingenuity is ex-
pected on the class of shams where
the shells have been absolutely fa5ri-
Gated. By means of molds, pigments
and a material which perfectly re-
sembles the natural shell substance
a rare egg is made and so well is it
done-especially by the French deal-
ers-that even experts often have
been deceived.
The White House Doors.