El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-12-26
Gives 100000 Butterflies
William Schaus, of New York,
Spends Life Collecting Them and
Donates Specimens to the
National Museum.
Rv Frederic l. Hoaf<iu-

wv ASHINGTON, D. c., 26.-Liberal
w donations of money from Amer
leans of means are frequently
given to scientific and educational in
stitutions, but gifts which represent
their own time and labor are compar-
atively rare The value of money to
such institutions is. of course, para
mount, yet such funds are frequently
scattered with comparatively small re-
suits. When a man deliberately plans
to give the fruits or his own labors
the resultant good is higher than from
donation of mere money.
The wonderful collection of butter
flies which is being donated to the
National museum of Washington by
William Schaus, of New York, is a
gift Of this kind. The collection in
cludeS over 200. 900 speciments to the
gathering of which Mr.. Schaus has
devoted the greater part of his life.
1t is one of the largest collections OF
lepidOptera in the world. The largest
is in the British museum. The next
largest is owned by NJ. Oberthur, OF
Rennes France, and the third largest
belongs to Walter ROthschild These
other collections are more varied in
their scope, but are not so complete in
American species as that which Mr..
Schaus has donated to the National
museum.
Collection From NeOtrOpicaI America.
Mr.. Scnaus's collection has been
taken entirely from neOtrOpical Amer
lea. tits said that no other collection
in the world compares with this in
sDeciments from that region. During
the past three years Mr.. Schaus has
been working UP collection made in
Costa Rica where nearly an equal time
was spent in gathering some 1000 spec
linens, covering the entire country from
the lowlands to the mountainous re-
giOns, encountering many dangers
from venOmOus reptiles, tropical fever
and other discoura gements.
A scientist who lived in the country
Informed Mr.. Schaus at the beginning
that he need not look for new species
in Costa Rica. as the country had been
thoroughly searched and 1000 species
recorded. Undeterred by this advice,
Mr.. Schaus began his quest pitching
his tent sometimes along a river and
sometimes in, the midst of a vast trop-
ical forest. He even camped for a time
on the volcanic mountain. Oas. and
took photographs of the interior of
its crater as side issue from butter
fly hunting. over 5000 species, were
taken; Of these more than $500 were
new to the Costa Rica fauna, and 1850
new to science.
Bulletin Describes Specimens.
The most important of these butter
flies are described in a bulletin issued
by the Geological society of London
last September which is Illustrated
with finely colored plates The orig
inals from which the plates were made
are included in the collection now be-
ing classified in the National museum.
IF DUPLICATES of new types were found
Mr.. Schaus presented them to the
British museum and to other scientific
Institutions in the old world where
his work as a scientist is even better
known than in his own country
Collecting butterflies as a fad or
hobby has been popular in Europe for
many years It is comparatively rare
here. although it is growing in favor
each year. Few collectors have been
able to give their life time to it. but
large number Of scientists are giving
their spare moments to collecting the
butterflies within their reach in view
Of increasing their knowledge of them.
DR.. William Barnes, of Decatur, MS
has the largest collection of North
4 neriCar butterflies in the world -
includes many thousands, among them
all of the recognized domestic vari-
cites. Mr.. Schaus did not wish to rival
DR.. Barnes, but he had a patriotic de-