Year: 1877

The Green House with Gold Nails.


Among the butterflies which fit gayly
about our summer flowers there is one
in which / was much interested last
season, and which / would like to de-
scribe to the readers of 81. Nicholas,
that this summer they may study it for
themselves.


How did / catch my butterfly? AS /
would advise all to do who wish sue
cess and perfect specimen. Take with
you box; watch for nice caterpillar !;
break off the leaf you will easily find him
feeding upon and when you have car
ried him home in the box, put him on
white paper and invert clear plain-glass
tumbler quickly over him; feed him
daily with whatever sort of leaf you
found him eating, and you have caught
your butterfly. You can see him through
the glass, and will find it source of en-
joyment to watch from time to time his
great changes 81 ti3


But it is of one particular kind / wish
now to tell you. The caterpillar lives
upon the common milkweed, or ascle-
pias, which grows by the roadside, with
pinkish clusters of flowers in summer,
and curious bird-shaped pods in the fall.
This caterpillar (whose true name is
Danais archippus-we might call him
Archie, for short) is very pretty, and the
butterfly is handsome; but the crowning
beauty of all is the chrysalis. 1t looks
like a little green house put together
with gold nails. 1t is somewhat of the
size and shape of long, delicate pea
green acorn, und has a row of dots half
way round what would be the saucer OF
the acorn, with others about the size of
a pins head on different parts of the
chrysalis, and you will say they are not
like gold, but are real gold itself.


The caterpillar, when full-grown, is
about two inches long. 1t is cylindrical,
and handsomely marked with narrow
alternating bands of black, white, and
lemon-yellow. The bands Sre not en-
tirely even, and occasionally run into
each other. On the top of the second
ring or segment are two slender black
thread-like horns, and on hind ring
two more not quite as long as those near
the head. You can find it almost any
day in July or August, if you look close
ly on the under side of the broad ovate-
elliptical leaves of the milk-weed.


1t was the accidental finding of his
chrysalis, attached to spray of wild
carrot, that led me to study this particu
lar species. 1t was secret to me, this
beautiful green-and-gold house. 1t held
something. What must know Cutting
the stem of the carrot, L brought the
treasure carefully into the house, covered
it with tumbler, and for week it re-
mained just the same. Then the green be-
gan to turn to light purple, and lines
began to show through the clear case. The
front showed lines like a curtain, parted
and folded back each way, like drapery,
to the bottom. The back was curious
ly marked of. The whole gradually
took on a very dark-purple hue, and l
hoped to see it open and give up its
treasure. But, though l watched very
carefully, it stole a march on me, and
one morning l found its secret disclosed
and huttering below the empty chrysa-
lis, now but clear, rent tissue, with
here and there pale gold dot.


The butterfly is handsome and quite
large (more than three inches across
when the wings are spread), but not
quite so beautiful as you would infer
from his elegant house. He is OF rich,
tawny orange, bordered with velvety
black on the upper side, and lighter,
nankeen yellow below, and has a large,
velvety black head, spotted with white.
st. Nicholas.