Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-12
Half Million Specimens of
About 10000 Varieties
Acquired for $50, 900.
COST FAMOUS. SURGEON !.
MORE THAN $500, 900
DR.. William Barnes of Decatur, Ill,
Followed Hobby Of Gathering
Insects for so Years.

The life hobby of a famous surgeon
who devoted his spare time and money
for so years to collecting moths and
butterflies has resulted in doubling the
collection of these insects in the Ma
tional Museum.
Congress in the second deficiency bill
for the Department of Agriculture ap-
propriated $4,000 to purchase the COL
lection of DR.. William Barnes of Deca-
Ftur, ILL.,, consisting Of approximately
half a million specimens of about 10000
varieties.
DR.. Barnes had the most complete
collection in existence of the North
American moths and butterflies, main
tanning a large private museum in
Decatur, which was visited by ento-
mologists from all parts of the country
Altogether, it is estimated, he spent
more than 100000 on this collection,
sometimes keeping six collectors con-
tinually in the field and paying the
salary OF an expert entomologist in De-
catur.
Offered to U. S. for $4,000.
The surgeon had built hospital,
and intended that eventually the sales
price of the collection should be a per-
manent endowment for this institu-
ton. When he died this Spring the
collection was offered to the Govern
ment for $50, 900 or to various wealthy
collectors for 100000.
The particular value to the Govern
ment is that many of the moths are
| among the most destructive of insect
pests, but differ only in slight details
from other species of very different
habits, calling for different methods of
control. The presence of type Speci-
mems in Washington is necessary for
the research work of the department.
When new species of insect is de-
scribed, the specimen from which the
description is made becomes the type
specimen" for the world, by comparison
with which identifications must be
made. Absolute identifications cannot
be made from verbal descriptions or
drawings. Many of the type specimens
of North American insects are in the
British Museum, having first been COL
lected in the exploration days and
identified as species in Great Britain.
Consequently it has been necessary
sometimes to send specimens collected
here to England to secure exact identi-
f1cation by comparison. DR.. Barnes
made several trips to England to COM
pare his own specimens with those in
the museum collection in order to es-
tablish new type specimens, which now
come to the museum.
Collection Nears Million.
BY this acquisition the national COL
lection approaches a million specimens.
including varieties from all over the
world. North America alone has ap-
proximately 10000 varieties, of which
only 500 are butterflies and all the rest
moths Varieties often differ in de-
tails discernible only to the expert.
brought about by differences in environ
ment. When a new pest appears in any
part OF the country the first step is to
compare 1t with related creatures in
the museum to see whether it is not
some known creature which has ex-
tended its range Scarcely a week goes
by without some such call on the
collection.
Recently a rush order came in for
identification of a caterpillar which
was raising havoc with the avocado
crop of Cuba, and which had the pecul-
lar habit of cutting shingles" out of
the leaves and sewing them together
into roof over itself. Concealed by
this green roof, it moved freely over
the surface of the leaf, protected by its
own enemies. BY consulting the collec-
ton cases, it was identified in a few
minutes as a known pest which was
trying to adapt itself to a new food
supply. Otherwise a lengthy study
would have been necessary before the
creature could have been identified.