Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-10-29

Butterflies.
Butterflies, because of their conspic-
uousness and beauty and their occur
renee almost everywhere, furnish an
attractive and ready means for study
ing the many curious and providential
ways in which nature provides for her
creatures.
Collecting butterflies is an interest
ing pursuit, and, besides, may become
a profitable pastime. The most ordi-
nary collections often sell for fair
prices, while those that are more elab-
crate, especially if they follow out
some scheme, as a collection to indi-
cate sleeping or feeding habits, or
representing the varying daily or sea-
sonal peculiarities of the insects, will
be very valuable, often running up in
the thousands of dollars.
The apparatus necessary for collect
ing and arranging these winged beau
ties is the simplest, consisting of a few
articles. The first thing is the means of
capturing. Capturing is not done by
hand, but by means of a net which
can be made from a small hoop at
tached to the end of an old broom
handle. The body OF the net is made
of mosquito netting and should be
about two feet deep if the hoop is
a foot in diameter. With a little prac-
tice one can become skilled in hand
ling the net and may catch BUTTERFLIES
rapidly and without in any way injur-
ing their delicate wings.
In approaching the insect it is well
to wait until it has alighted and to
bring the net close to it as slowly as
possible, and keep it near the ground
and out of sight When very close
to the prey sudden stroke followed
by quick backward movement will
bag the butterfly and fold the net
over so that it cannot escape. Never
touch the wings with the fingers in re-
moving the insect Carefully insert
the killing bottle and allow the butter
fly to flutter into the bottle, and the
insertion of the cork will hold it a
prisoner
The killing bottle should be a wide
mouthed bottle into which the butter
fly can pass without injury to the
wings. In the bottom should be placed
SSCutSly ny mStliS Vi Suelldc sinai
piece OF cotton which is wet with ben 4
zine or common gasoline. The yapors
from these substances produce an easy
and painless stupor, ending in death.
Do not be hasty in removing the but
terhy after it has gone to sleep, be-
cause the fresh air often reyives it.
After the insects are captured and
killed they are ready to be pinned and
set. For pinning always use insect
pins, which are much thinner than
common pins, and will not rust. They
cost five cents hundred.
butterfly should be pinned through
the middle of the thorax, and in snch
a way that the body is at right an
giles to the pin. The thoraX is between
the head and the point where the
wings join the body.
After the insect is properly pinned,
it is ready for setting, and for the proc
ess a setting board is necessary. The
setting board is a plain, fiat board with
numbers of holes large enough to take
the head of the pin. The insect is laid
on the board back down, with the head
of the pin in the hole. The wings are
then spread and pinned down to the
board in such way as to show all that
is possible of their surface.
The fore wings should be pulled for
ward so far that their hind edges may
be in the same straight line and the
hind wings brought to such position
as to leave about the same gap next to
the body as to the front wings. In pull
1.l ,1i, y,,ax hn
used, inserting it Just behind the
strong vein or rib, which is plain, and
thus avoiding the danger of tearing.
After the wings are pinned down in
the proper position it is a good plan
to lay strips of paper over them to
hold them straight and after these
strips are pinned down remove the
pins in the wings, for if the pins are
left m the wings until they are dry
the holes they have made will be cas-
lily seen.
After Il very little practice this work =
is readily done, and no little taste and
skill can be shown in arranging the
wings to display the full beauty of the
specimen. After the wings are thor
oughly dry, which takes from three
or four days to week, the insects
are ready to be placed in the collec-
ton A good and serviceable storage
case can be made from an old shirt
box. When the specimen is placed
in the collection case it is a good plan
to write the date and locality of cap
ture of every specimen and pin this
below it, thereby adding value to the
collection.-San Francisco Chronicle.