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THE

BUTTERFLY HUNTERS.
BY

HELEN

S.

CONANT

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.

BOSTON:
JAMES

R.

OSGOOD AND COMPANY,

LATE TICKNOR

&

FIELDS,

AND

FIELDS, OSGOOD,

1875.

&

Co.


Entered according to Act of Congress,

in the

year 1868, by

TICKNOR AND FIELDS,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

UNIVERSITY PRESS WET CH, BIGEI ow,
CAMBRIDGE.
:

&

Co.,


PREFACE.
IN offering this

little

volume

the public of youthful

to

readers the author wishes to say that

it

has no claim to

the completeness of a scientific treatise, but
of

a

meadows

of

result

far

as

it

summer's

New

through

It

England.

The

goes.

rambling

the woods

and

however, accurate as

is,

illustrations

merely the

is

have been drawn and

engraved, with great care and accuracy, by

MR. ALBERT

C. RUSSELL, of Boston, from specimens in the author's col-

and

lection,

all

from nature.
it

will

awaken

the descriptions have been carefully studied

The volume
in

published with the .hope that

is

boys and

girls

a greater interest in the

study of a delightful branch of natural history
author will be fully satisfied
reading
little

whom

it

as

much

pleasure as

boy named Tom,
it

is

if

'

for

other
it

whom

little

;

folks

and the
find

in

has already given to a
it

was

written,

and to

fondly dedicated by his

MAMMA.

2051551



CONTENTS.

Page,

Chapter
I.

II.

INTRODUCTORY

i

THE FIRST BUTTERFLY

6

III.

FLOWERS AND BUTTERFLIES

14

IV.

A

21

V.

VI.

RAINY MORNING

THE HILL-PASTURE

VII.

BUTTERFLY TALK

VIII.

THE RAIL SWAMP

IX.

X.
XI.

XII.

........

THE OLD CELLAR HOLE
.

32
.

;

.

.

...

.

.......

CATERPILLARS AND CHRYSALIDS

THE DEN ROCKS

.

.

.

.

AN EVENING WITH ANNIE WEBB

.

m[
.

.

.

.

42

49
55

-70

-

JULY BUTTERFLIES

74

XIII.

THE HAY-FIELD

XIV.

HAL'S MISHAPS IN THE

XVI.

.37
.

'

XV.

25

,

WOODS

;

.

.82
'93

THE LITTLE WOOD-BROWNIES

100

SKIPPERS

106

.

.

.


CONTENTS.

Vi

XVII.

THE BOATING-PARTY.

DRAGON-FLIES.

.

.

.

in

THE MOUNTAIN TRAMP

122

XIX.

ABOUT MOTHS

138

XX.

ABOUT MOTHS

XVIII.

XXI.

(Continued)

146

THE BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL

156


LIST.

OF BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS.



CHAPTER

I.

INTRODUCTORY.

NE

beautiful

evening

early part of April,

in

the'

Rose and

Hal Merton were standing

to-

gether under the big Elm-tree:
which shaded the lawn in front
of their father's

were
hill,

house.
They
down
the long,
looking
which
wound
a narrow
up

country road, that passed under"
the wide-spreading branches of the Elm, and then twistedoff

round the foot of the mountain.

"Rose,"

said

Cousin

Tom

invited

him

Rose

is.

Hal,
I

"I wonder what kind of a

fellow-

more than half wish father had. not

spend the Summer with us."
smiled, and pointed down the road.
to

"You

will'


THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS.

2

soon find out what kind of a fellow he

is,"

said she, "for

there comes the carriage."

Hal and

his sister turned

where they waited

Tom

sented

Tom

and walked

to the front gate,

Mr. Merton drove up and pre-

until

to his cousins.

Stewart was the only son of Mr. Merton's

His father was a wealthy Boston merchant, and
all

passed

his life in the city

limited

being

to

some fashionable

Summer
resort.

home,

sister.

Tom

had

his country experience

excursions with his parents to

Close confinement to study, and

had begun to show their
upon Tom, and, although a tall, handsome boy of
It was to
fourteen, he was pale and slender as a girl.
lack of

hearty exercise,

good,

effects

color

put
his

into

his

cheeks,

and strength

and vigor into

whole frame, that Mr. Stewart had sent him for the

Summer

to share the

country sports of his cousins.

Tom

was quite homesick the first evening at the farmhouse, and had but little appetite for the fresh biscuits
and baked apples and cream his Aunt Merton had pre-

Even the kind

pared for his supper.
failed

came

to

cheer him up, and he was glad

to take his candle

chamber he was

to

and go up

thought

he never could

all

Rose

the time

neat

little

the homesick-

back heavy on
and never would

fell

of

Summer.

the next morning

ness of the previous evening

when

stairs to the

occupy during the

When Tom waked
He

attention

his heart.
like

the


THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS.

But by the time he was
breakfast, the fresh air and clear

country, or anything about

ready to go down

to

3

it.

morning sunlight began to exercise an exhilarating effect
Hal was whistling a lively tune out
upon his spirits.
under the Elm, and Rose was singing as she sat

at

work

on the front doorstep.
"

Good morning, Tom,"

she

said

Mother has saved breakfast

"
;

"

you must be very hungry."
Have you had breakfast already ?

"

O

are you rested yet

and

for you,

guess that

I

?

by

this time

"

asked Tom.

yes, of course," said Rose, with a

But never mind.

eral hours ago.

customed

Tom

to country hours,

ate

his

and

You

rise

merry laugh,
will

earliest."

and then

appetite,

went out under the Elm to see what

sev-

soon grow ac-

with the

breakfast with a good

"

Hal was

his cousin

doing.

Hal was

on a large

sitting

flat

and seemed

rock,

to be

Tom

very busy over something, but he looked up as

ap-

proached.
"

Come and

help me, Tom," said he

;

"I caught

in the bushes yesterday, and am trying to mend
"
Your net, Hal
Are you going fishing ? "

my

net

it."

!

"

O

no,

not to-day.

Besides, do

catch fish with this gauzy thing?

than that
"

What

you suppose

You

will

I

learn

b.efore you have been here many weeks."
"
are you going to do with it, then ?

could
better


THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS.

4
"

Well, you see, our class in school are just

"

"

Study of what

Why,

We

teacher,
"

who

Yes.

I

had

n't

the

fields.

Tom.

The study

?

of butterflies and

catch specimens and take them to our schooltells

Why, do you

"

interrupted

you know

don't

moths.

"
?

commencing

"

the study of Lepidoptera, and

us

all

about them."

really catch

them

was out hunting

any luck at

You

all,

though

we have

see

all

I

to

"

in nets

?

day yesterday
chased a dozen

;

but

all

I

over

begin hunting early in

the season, because the various kinds of butterflies appear
in different months,

be

to

creeping

Autumn

and

it

's

already time for the earliest

Those which

out.

crawl into the cracks of

come

latest

in

the

barns and sheds, and

sometimes into piles of wood, and live there through the
Winter, and it is to hunt for these that I am going out
to-morrow."

"What do you do
caught them
"

O, you

"
?

'11

with the butterflies

when you have

asked Tom.
see.

Rose

will

make you a

net,

and then

you can go hunting with me. A* few tramps over the mountain will do you good.
As you look now, I would n't give

much

you among us country boys at any sort of a game."
was at first inclined to resent this uncomplimen-

for

Tom

tary speech.

Though

of slighter form

than Hal, he was

already quite expert in gymnastic games, and his muscles


THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS.
were firm and nervous.

5

But, as he looked at his stout and

sturdy cousin, he thought

it

best not to boast too loudly.

Mending the torn net proved to be too nice a job for
skill, and the boys went into the house to ask Rose's

Hal's

assistance.

Of

must have a net

work upon the frame.

to

set

ately
flat

Tom

course

barrel-hoop,

inch in width.

and

Of

slit

this

diameter, which he

off a strip

Hal immedi-

too,

so

He

took a

common

about a quarter of an

he made a hoop about a foot in

bound with wire

to

a light

hickory
rod of the thickness of a parasol handle and about three

When

feet long.

he had completed

his frame,

Rose took

a circular piece of mosquito-netting, about three quarters
of a yard in diameter, and bound

and the net was

finished.

it

firmly to the

hoop,

Butterfly nets can be bought

but any boy who is handy with his knife
ready made
can make his own. The frame sjiould be light so as not
;

same time strong enough
to endure a good deal of rough work among the bushes.
A piece of ratan from an old umbrella makes a good
hoop and nothing is better for the handle than a farmer's

to fatigue the hand,

and

at the

;

goad-stick or

wooden whip, which

is

light, strong,

and not

Great attention should be paid to joining the
handle to the hoop. If this is not firmly done, the frame
too elastic.

may come
flies,

and

if

two when you are in hot pursuit of butteryou have not with you the means of repairing

in

the damage, you

may

lose

your whole day's

sport.


THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS.

CHAPTER

II.

THE FIRST BUTTERFLY.
early Spring

in

morning

possesses a sweet charm of
equalled

in

The warm
Winter

own, un-

rays of the sun melt the deep

and

and

send

merry

rivulets

down every

sparkling

The meadows

side.

England

its

any other part of the world.

snows

dancing

New

wet and

are

Jj_3V

and

all

the hollows

are

hill-

soft,

miniature lakes,

by which the green grass already shoots up in tall, slender

spires.
Along the roadside, and under the old stone walls,
the dingy snow-banks waste rapidly away, giving place to

banks of emerald turf and delicate wayside flowers.
It was on one of these sweet mornings that Hal, with
his net

hunt

to

and box and bottle of
for the

after living all

first

Spring

Winter

out to die in the

ether, started out with

butterfly,

Tom

the Antiopa, which,

in old buildings or wood-piles, creeps

warm

April sunshine.

"Are we going to tramp
"
meadows ? asked Tom.

all

over

the

wet,

splashy

answered Hal, " not to-day. But you need n't
look so fearfully at the wet fields, for long before Summer
"

O

no,"

THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS.
over

is

so will

I

shall

often found in

Mr. Benedict

warm, sunny

"Who is Mr. Benedict?"
"He is our teacher. A
your net

the

says

Antiopa

places in the woods.

real jolly

man he

But why did

the boys like him.

all

and

water,

only hunt round the barns

will

and woodshed, although
is

mud and

go straight through

To-day we

you.

7

and

too,

is,

you bring out

n't

"
?

"Rose has not

finished

it

yet.

I

about as

shall catch

milch with the net in her work-basket as

if I

had

out

it

here."

"Don't say

Tom.

that,

you may as well carry

But as your hands are empty,

my

"

You don't expect to fill
"The box will hold one,
said Hal, laughing.
for

nothing

all

box."

if I

"But, you

day.

"

box to-day, do you

this big

?

have the luck to catch
perhaps we

see,

Butterfly-hunting takes just as

it,"

hunt

shall

much

patience and skill as fishing, only it is more active sport."
While they were talking, the two boys walked leisurely
along through the yard back of Mr. Merton's house. They

climbed over

the

bars,

and went down

the lane

to

the

barn.
"

Hal,

what

asked Tom.

are

"The

you going
smell

to

do with

makes me

feel

this

ether

just as if I

"
?

was

going to have a tooth pulled."
"I am going to serve the butterflies just as the dentist

THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS.

8

"

serves you," replied Hal.

of this

drop

to

no pain.

will feel

Soon as

nose, and put

its

Then

I fasten

catch one

I
it

to sleep

would

sleep before taking

put a
it

with a pin to one of

it

those pieces of cork you see in the box.
flies to

I

so that

I

them from the

put the butter-

net, or else

they

and struggle so as to destroy all the delicate
down on their wings. But you shall see. Come along."
flutter

The noon sun had
through the

light

Hal

for

said they

air,

spread

its

full

glory of

warmth and

and the boys stepped very cautiously,

might find a butterfly hovering over any

of the old logs that lay scattered about in the grass.

"Keep

a

little

behind me, Tom," said Hal;

"for the

Antiopa are very shy, and if I see one lighted I want to
throw my net over it before anything starts it. This kind
fly

very high, and

"Why,

it

is

n't

thought you had just begun to study
do you call it ? But you seem to know
I

Hal,

What
Lepi
about the habits of the

all

"Of
to
I

course

easy to chase them."

I

butterflies

now."

have had to study some before beginning

Hal; "and, besides, last Autumn
hunted and found a few, but I was awkward then, and
catch them," replied

tore

them

to

all

pieces

trying to

arrange

them on the

one lighted on that old log."
Stop stop
Hal stole softly along, and threw his net, but the beautiful
insect floated up over the roof of the barn, and
corks.

finally

!

!

There

lighted far above

's

Hal's reach.

Hal did not stop


THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS.
to reply to

loud, ringing laugh, but

more

butterflies,

for

looking

whether the

see

to

Tom's

9

went on

turning every

one had flown from the

first

quietly

now and then
It

roof.

soon darted off over the other side of the building, and

Hal chased

after

leaving his cousin behind.

it,

Tom
When Tom came
heard Hal

calling for the
up,

box and

Very soon

ether.

Hal had gathered the net up

He was

a bunch, confining the insect in a small space.
it

holding
it

put

very

carefully to

to sleep with a

it

keep

drop of ether.

quiet,

Tom

while Hal with a delicate brush dropped a

The

the butterfly's head.

Hal then fastened

held the bottle,

show

all

"You punch

all

Yes,

know

I

long, slender pin to
its

wings so

it

with your ugly pin as

I

do

;

if

it

was dead

Tom.
and perhaps

it is

dead," replied Hal,

the while busily arranging the wings before they

stiff

and

It

grew
"Sometimes they wake up," he continued,
have to give them another dose of ether."

brittle.

"and then

to

and

the beauty and variety of the colors.

instead of asleep," said
"

ether on

little

one of the corks in his box, and spread out
as to

he could

insect soon ceased moving,

by means of a

it

until

into

I

was now nearly time

go

into

the

house.

and the boys turned
yard Hal succeeded in

for dinner,

In the

catching two more butterflies of the same kind.

"Why

do you keep so

"The specimens

many

just alike?" asked

Tom.

are not always perfect," answered Hal,


THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS.

IO

"and then we want a

The female

pair in our collection.

always larger and more beautiful in color than the male.
Besides, with many butterflies the under side is quite as

is

interesting to
can,

and afterwards

select the finest

The boys stopped
was waiting

So we catch

examine as the upper.

for

them

to

show

in the

we

all

specimens to keep."

their specimens to Rose,

doorway.

who

All three then went

in to dinner.

Tom

In the evening Hal and

went over

to the school-

house, where they .found Mr. Benedict, the teacher, who
was a great favorite with the boys, sitting in one of the
About twenty boys were gathered near

recitation-rooms.

him, and on the table at his side lay several large books

The boys were all talking
a
and
Frankie
Mason,
bright-eyed little fellow of
eagerly;
ten, was telling the teacher how hard he had worked all
and a number of small boxes.

day without catching a single butterfly, when the door
opened, and Hal and Tom, with Johnny Webb, came in

The boys
Mr. Benedict commenced as

with their boxes, and laid them on the table.

then

took

their

seats,

and

follows.

as

"In the beginning I shall make our study as simple
possible, and leave all the difficult things till we are

better able to understand
terflies

them.

We

will

study the but-

by what we can see with the naked

very few of you possess microscopes."

eye, because


THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS.

The

II

teacher stopped and turned to his table.

Each boy

specimen in a neat paper box, on which
his own name was written, so that Mr. Benedict might
know whose butterfly was the best preserved. He smiled

had brought

his

he looked at some of them, for they were torn, and
the down on the wings nearly rubbed off.
as

"

That

's

mine," said one of the big boys, as the teacher

laughingly held up one forlorn insect, of which

little

was

remaining save the body and a broken piece of a wing.
"
I brought it to show you I had tried."
"

Never mind,
at

butterfly

all

said the

Gilbert,"
is

better than

teacher,

"

to

catch the

Only next time

nothing.

you must handle it with more delicate fingers."
After looking over all that had been brought
teacher told the boys that he should

make

in,

the

the Antiopa

the subject of this lesson, although several boys had found

specimens of other early
lived

The Antiopa, having

varieties.

over Winter, was properly the
Hal's

sidered.

Johnny

Webb

specimens

had

one to be con-

first

were very well

found a more

perfect

arranged,

but

so

the

insect,

teacher selected the latter specimen to show to the boys.

"The

Antiopa," said he, "belongs to the genus Vanessa,

because the wings are jagged or tailed on the hind edge.

The wings expand from

He

held

looked

three to three and a half inches."

up Johnny's box

eagerly

at

the

in his

beautiful

hand, and
insect

all

the boys

expanded

in

it.