Evening star., 1936-01-18
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

There are fighting butterflies.
Some Of the smallest and fraileSt of
these insects will not hesitate even to
attack birds, according to the observa-
tions Of Austin H. Clark Smithsonian
Institution biologist, who has made in
tensive observations of their behavior
There is. for example, the little buck
eye butterfly which is common after
Midsummer over most of the Northeast
ern United States. 1t will fight success
fully against waSps. bees, large flies and
larger butterflies. It will, says Mr. Clark,
assault any other insect that passes
within or feet of it as it sits upon
the ground.
"They are very quarrelsome among
themselves" he says. There Is a con-
slant feud between them and the males
Of the pearl crescent butterfly. which
swarm In molSter spots along the roads.
Perhaps the most interesting popularity
Of the buckeye is its intense dislike for
the common Carolina locust. If one of
these clumsy insects jumps up and takes
to flight and there is male buckeye
near, the latter at once gives chase,
flying behind or on either side of it. but
always keeping from 2 to inches away.
If the locust alights on the road, the
butterfly alights simultaneously or S
inches to one side and slowly waves its
wings in a menacing fashion. If the
prosecuted locust takes off again the
butterfly is after it once more. If a
locust pursued by buckeye passes within
10 feet or so of another buckeye, the
second will join in the pursuit. Some
times even third will join. A Carolina
locust pursued by buckeye and trying
to escape is sight that may be wit
messed a hundred times day wherever
the two insects are common"
Some common butterflies, Mr.. Clark
says, have no hesitation in attacking
birds. One of these is the Camberwell
Beauty, which he describes as bold,
pugnaciouS and aggressive. When two
meet they will often rise battling to q
height of 20 feet or more. In the open
it will dart viciouSly at the larger
dragonfies that venture too near the
willows on which it rests, and will also
dart at the smaller birds, sending them
to cover"
The only other butterfly that habitually
attacks birds is the common milkweed
most peaceful in disposition of all its
IdCC oCtWcCA ul<lCS VI SPCClcS
there are only feeble, half hearted fights,
but it has a special animosity for hum
ming birds.
"In spite Of its essentially peaceful
disposition" Mr.. Clark says. "it is not
without courage, for it will attack most
viciously a hummingbird' so incautious
as to approach too near the flower on
which it is feeding. Almost always the
bird is badly frightened and makes of
in straight line as fast as possible. After
one of these attacks on a hummingbird
the butterfly always displays intense
excitement for some minutes"
Another fighter, Mr.. Clark says, is the
pearl crescent butterfly, one of the com.
monest in weedy fields. It will dart Vi
ciously at larger grasshoppers, flies. bees
and especially at the larger brown but.
terf1ies against which it seems to main
tain special emnity.
There are even, Mr.. Clark points out,
what amount to wars between butterfly
species which end in the eXtirpation Of
one or the other. Such o process is
even now going on around the District
of Columbia. During the past four years
there has been . great increase in the