The Washington herald., 1910-04-29
INDIAN RIVER BUTTERFLIES.
The Great Southern white Butter
fly as Observed In FIorldn.

The Great Southern White Butter
fly ms Observed I'm Florida.
Winthrop Packard. in Boston Transcript.
s. BY the roadside spurges show red in
volucres and everywhere you find the low
growing composite blooms Of the plant
which produces the Spanish needles, q"
seeds that are spear-like akenes 20 stab
as you pass The white petals of this
composite flower are no whittier than the
wings of the great Southern white but
terfiy that seems 20 delight most Of ali in
feeding on this pretty. daisy-like blossom.
Nor can the numbers OF the blossoms.
though they increase 20 myriads as the
summer comes on. equal those myriads OF
Southern white butterflies that make the
ridge their hostelry and the road which
leads Southwark their highway Now IL
is between seasons with them. the swarms
OF last summer having passed Southwark,
the swarms 10 come with this summer
not having yet been born. yet already
they make the road place Of snowflakes.
scurTying on March winds all hither and
thither. They are as white as snow In
flight. the tiny marking OF black on the
margin Of the primaries serving only TO
accentuate the whiteness. SO when they
light and fold the wings the greenish tint
OF the secbndaries beneath is only that
reflected light which becomes green in
some snow shadows They serve 20 make
the day cool while the sun is fe.yid and
20 walk toward It even at a moderate
pace is to perspire freely Just as the
snowfakes during white storm seem TO
scurry together I'm companionship and
allght in groups beneath some sheltering
shrub. so toward nightfall when the level
sun just tops the ridge 10 the westward
these Southern snowfakes dance together
in scurrying hocks and light In dense
groups beneath some overhanging shrub
which shelters them from the wind There
they Will land in groups OF hundreds,
waiting for the reviving warmth Of the
next mornings sun.
Stranger than this IS the passing Of
what seem marshaled hosts along this
Indian River road toward the South. This
has hardly begun as yet The excep-
tonal cold of the winter has kept the
images In chrysalid and the rush is not
yet on. But the time VIII come soon
IT,
day uncountable millions will pass any
given point. coming from the North and
going toward the South. an along this
Indian River ridge. over on the island
even greater numbers will be a part OF
the astonishing procession. Whether this
is continued Westward into the interior
Of the State 7 cannot say. nor do I know
whence they come nor whittier they go.
Perhaps some West coast observer will
be able TO state whether this flight goes
10 the South there or whether the vast
numbers round the Southern end OF the
peninsula and go North again. know
that last November this same Southern
movement was noticeable in the northern
portion OF the State. about Jacksonville.
In its aggregate # must reach a number
OF butterflies which might well stagger
the imagination. I think rs cause is easy
20 guess at. The prevailing gentle winds
OF the region are from the south. and
just as wild duck rising from the water
must fly against the wind 10 get into the
air. so butterflies fly easiest against
gentle breeze. They beat hither and
thither In search Of food and of mates.
Out II they 90 with the wind their flight
is far too rapid 10 serve this purpose A |
butterfly attacked Will so on down the
wind at an express train speed. But as
soon as his fright is over you Will ind
him beating 10 windward again. More |
over. butterflies hunt both for food and
for mates. by scent Therefore. against /,
the wind IS their only logical course.
I think that really answers the whole
query The trade winds blow gently an
summer long, and most Of the time dur
ing the winter, from the southeast
Hence the butterflies beating against II
come 70 the coast line and follow II down. /
swarming the Indian River road with
their wilderness. What becomes Of them
all when they get into the lower end Of !
Dale County, I cannot as yet say.