Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-03-03
BUTTERFLIES.
Great Collection in Field Museum Of
Natural History.

Great Collection in Field Museum Of
Natural History.
The largest and most complete col
lection of moths and butterflies in
America, and one Of the largest and
best in the world, is now in the pos
session of the Field Museum of Nat
ural History in Chicago. This won
derful exhibit of specimens was col
lected by the late DR.. Herman Streck-
er, Of Reading, Pa, and was sold to
the Chicago institution for the sum
of $4,000. Even this large sum, &C
cording to Prof. William J. Gerhard,
assistant curator of the division of
entomology, in whose care the col
lection has been placed, is far below
the actual value Of the specimens.
The collection represents practically
the life work of DR.. Strecker. Al
though by profession he was a sculp-
tor of no little note, his extreme love
for nature could not find expression
IN marble, and he gradually drifted
into the more absorbing study of en-
tomology. He soon acquired world
wide fame in this new branch and
took rank with the leading entOmOlo
gists of the world. He wrote several
large books, illustrated with life-size
colored steel engravings. These books
now rank as leading authorities on
the subject.
Nearly 100000 specimens, from al
the collection. There is the extra
ordinary moth Argus, from West
Africa, small, flesh-colored creature,
measuring three inches from tip to
tip, which has hind wings, protrudins
almost seven inches; and there is the
famous Semiramis, found only in the
little country of .urinam, somewhat
similar to the Argus, but slightly
| larger.
Some Of the butterflies are curious
ly marked. One, the deaths head,
has on it's wings the exact reproduc
| ton of skull and crossbOnes. An
other, found only in parts of South
America, has the figure So depicted
plainly in jet black on it's silvery
wings. Two of the most valuable are
the two specimens of the genus Par
naceus. 1t is said that at one time
he was offered $500 apiece for these
little fellows. There are few of these
butterflies in existence, and they are
found only in the highest parts Of the
Himalaya mountains
The largest member of the butterfly
tribe is the great owl moth Of Brazil,
OF which there are several fine speoi-
mems in the collection. They are of
notified gray color and measure IL
inches across the wings. The mon
ser Atlas moth of China is close
second to the Brazilian, having
spread of 10ls inches and tails inch
es in length. In the Brooklyn Insti-
tute is butterfly from Eastern Asia
! said to be valued at the fabulous price
Of $1,000. The Strecker collection has
both a male and female of the same
both in perfect state OF preserva-
ton. They are of the family Papilio
/ neumoegenii variety. Other extreme
| ly rare members of the group are the
Ornithoptera, the Paradise, the ELVES
r., from Western China, the TithOnus
and the Hecuba, found in the forests
Of Dutch Guiana.
Most interesting, from the scientific
standpoint, are the examples of di
morphism to be found in the collec-
ton. These are cases where the
specimens has the characteristics of
both the female and the male. On
one side of the body the wing will
be plainly that of the female animal,
while on the other side the wing OF
! the male member of the family will
be as clearly depicted.
In beauty the golden Paris group
from India, the gorgeous Rhipeus Of
Madagascar and its no less resplend-
ent cousin, the Croesus, from Zanzi-
bar, are easily in the lead, flashing
and interblending their colors in the
most wonderful manner.
A little sreenish yellow specimen,
quite like the ordinary yellow butter
fly Of the present day, but of which
particular kind there are only seven
known to be in existence, has an in
teresting history. 1t came from
Boothia Felix, well up around the
north pole, where it was captured By
members of the second Ross expedi-
ton in the year 1929 while search
for the northwest passage was being
made. 1t also has the reputation OF
being taken at the highest latitude in
which a butterfly has even been seem
Professor Gerhard Is engaged in
preparing the collection for exhibition,
which task probably will occupy
months time, when it will be placed
in the corridors of the big museum
building. open to the inspection Of
the public.-Chicaso Daily News.