Evening star., 1932-07-30

of the numerous varieties Of butterflies.
One need not wait until they are
mounted to admire them. AS they
flutter with the true butterfly flaunt,
over the flowers, they are striking
images of that love Of beauty which
spite her evidently heedleSsness and
sheer cruelty, to the understanding
heart and mind OF man.
Poor Butterfly went the popular
musical comedy song of a decade or SO
ago. AS one watches these pretty
filters, in their semi-inSane flight
around the garden, he will not wonder
that one feels sorry for them, some
how
Seemingly nature has not endowed
them with that capacity for fear which
she has given to so many of her crea-
lures, large and small; the butterflies
do not know that the frolicksome house
cat, which capers across the yard with
tail held high in question mark curve,
will reach out a swift paw and bear it
to the ground.
1t is one of the tragedies of butterfly
life, but there are many more, since all
larger forms of life seem to unite in
crippling and otherwise harming these
large winged creatures of a few hours
life at the most.
bObuoJo dlC 1uIEICoIulb ulScCbS, III
any of their variations. In this name
the home owner may include, for con-
venience, If not for accuracy, the diff
ferent specimens of hot bugs" which
saw away so industriouSly on Summer
nights.
These are among the real loud
speakers" of nature, creatures endowed
with voices, or sounds, out of all pro-
portion to their size.
A good specimen Of "hot bug" as
many call them. will create a mo-
notonous droning noise which perhaps
can be heard for an eighth of a mile
or more.
Since, however, there is every like
lihood that his efforts will be enforced,
as his sound goes along, by the saw
1ngs Of many relatives, the grand re-
suit Is a sawmill noise on a great nat
ural scale.
Like the incessant rumble of break
erS on a sandy shore, the steady, in
siStent noise Of locusts, crickets, cicadas,
and the like, scarcely ever offends, even
the most nervous person, and the light
est sleeper.
Grasshoppers form another interest
ing branch Of creatures which come
into the gardens, whether or not. Re
Gently we discovered as curious a speci-
men as one could conceive. It was
about inches long, more like a snake
than hopper.
1t had head and neck which re-
minded one of giraffe We hope no
one is prompted to accuse us of nature
taking, but that was what this creature
looked like.
1t was Of beautiful apple green
color, and If it wasn't a grasshopper of
some sort we do not know what it was.
The creature was putting up a furious
battle with a cat, when discovered, and
caused such alarm throughout the
household that it was destroyed with
stick before the idea was conceived of
bottling it for further investigation.
A lookout is being kept for further
specimens, in order that an ANALYSIS
may be made of it by an expert in
such things.
Ordinary tobacco Juice" grasshoppers
are not in very much evidence this year.
1t is said that the seasonably dis
tributed rains has kept them down to
a minimum. These insects, although
pest in the West, do not do much
damage in a cultivated garden where
they are rather subjects for amusement
than otherwise.
And if there are not many of them,
there are plenty of lady bugs, those
interesting spotted insects which live
upon aphids, or plant lice, and which
therefore, should be, and usually are
honored guests Of the home gardener
Since these creatures, and manv
others, come to our yards, whether we
want them or not, and since certain of
them are entirely harmless, and really
interesting, they should be watched for
and regarded as worth watching. as
part Of the recreation OF gardening.