A FEW COMMON VARIETIES. 



Vanessa Antiopa (the Mourning-cloak or Camberwell Beauty) is noted 

 for its beauty but is everywhere plentiful. Its caterpillars are gregarious and 

 are found upon willows, elms and other foodplants in large colonies. They 

 need not be taken until they have reached the last molt and will pupate in 

 a few days. Despite the fact that they are very common it is wise to take 

 hundreds of larvae each year in the hope of obtaining aberrations. This applies 

 to all species, as aberrant forms are greatly sought by all entomologists. Melitaea 

 phaeton, chalcedon and palla, Pyrameis huntera and cardui ; Junonia coeria ; 

 Neonympha eurytris; Ccenonympha californica; Thecla melinus, damon and 

 augustus; Chrysophanus thoe, helloides and hypophleas, all the Pyrameis and 

 Vanessa families; Chlorippe celtis; Satyrus alope, charon, and a number of 

 other varieties would be found in most lists of common species, but many of 

 these are bright colored and are desirable in art work. If a butterfly is beau- 

 tiful, bright hued, at all brilliant, it is salable. Pyrameis atalanta is a good 

 seller, although it can be reared in vast numbers. Many Papilios are common 

 enough in wide regions of country, but all are worth collecting and several 

 species are exceedingly rare. It is a safe rule to collect or breed one thousand 

 of every species and store them away until needed. It is so easy to rear some 

 kinds that you could make more money selling them at one cent apiece than 

 you could by rearing some rare species at a dollar per specimen. 



WHY NOT BREED RARE VARIETIES EXCLUSIVELY. 



"Why not raise rare species from the outset?" "Why bother with com- 

 mon kinds?" These interrogatories are frequently propounded. The answer 

 is simple. You would not know the rare species if you were told their names, 

 nor would you be able to obtain eggs or larvae at the outset. By breeding 

 all kinds you are certain to secure some that are rare, and if your locality has 

 not been systematically worked, you are quite sure to find new species. If 

 you find eggs, larvae or cocoons, you will not know their names until the adults 

 appear, hence you must take all you find and patiently await results. Pupils 

 who fail are those who confine their efforts to one or two or only a few species at 

 the outset. This is all well enough when you know what you are rearing and 

 how to rear them. Confine your labors to one species of caterpillar and some 

 disease may sweep away the entire brood, or some neglect will cause them to 

 perish, or when they hatch they may prove "immensely common." If I were 

 to devote all my time to obtaining eggs and specimens of Papilio indra, I would 

 probably starve, yet it flies here and I will obtain all that I possibly can. I can 

 sell every Hepialus mcglashani Hy. Edw., and every Melitaea mcglashani Rivers 

 that I can take or breed, and this is the home of these species. So rare is the 

 latter that dealers will sell you "fake" specimens of other Melitaea under this 

 name. It flies from May until July, but with all the effort I could put forth 

 I captured and bred less than one hundred Melitaea mcglashani Riv. last year. 

 When you learn what is rare breed all of them you can, but if you want best 

 results do not despise commoner varieties, especially at the outset. 



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