CORRESPONDENCE COURSE IN ENTOMOLOGY. 



Conducted Under the Auspices of the Agassiz Association. 



Lesson XII. Miscellaneous. 



WILL OTHER FARMS INJURE MINE? 



Correspondents often express the fear that if they start farms my busi- 

 ness will suffer. I wish to effectually lay this ghost. I have been trying for two 

 years to induce people to start butterfly farms. I know of nothing which would 

 bring so much joy, beauty and sunshine into their lives. I want every pupil to 

 instruct every beginner who wishes to learn the business. During the past twenty 

 years it has been extremely difficult for amateurs to get adequate help in ento- 

 mological work unless they wished to confine their studies to injurious insects. 

 Instead of teaching how to rear moths and butterflies the scientists taught to destroy 

 them by rearing their enemies. I should be proud and happy to be the means 

 of causing a thousand prosperous butterfly farms to be built up in America. 

 Prices would be lowered of course, but markets would be greatly multiplied. 

 Those of us who have moderate means or almost no money at all could afford 

 to own splendid collections. We could help each other fill orders and be of 

 mutual assistance. Hardly a day passes that I do not receive letters asking foi 

 species which cannot be obtained in Truckee. If we had a chain of well-managed 

 farms there would be no difficulty in supplying the wants of any dealer or pur- 

 chaser. A long life and an exceedingly happy one awaits each person who makes 

 entomology a hobby. The work is brimful of health, of exquisite delights, of 

 constant enjoyment. No one can properly conduct a farm without receiving 

 eggs, pupae and imagoes from other farmers. Each locality has its treasures which 

 cannot be obtained elsewhere, hence there is abundant room for all. I would 

 like to correspond, exchange with and purchase from each butterfly farmer in 

 the world. 

 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



The antennae or horns of a butterfly have a knob, ball, or a decided thicken- 

 ing at the end, while those of moths are not knobbed, but usually taper from base 

 to tip and terminate in a sharp point. Some moths have fern-like antennae, quite 

 broad in the middle, but always terminating in a point. The butterfly's antennae 

 are thread-like, except for the knob at the end. While resting or sleeping the 

 wings of the butterfly are erect over its back, while a moth commonly rests with 

 its wings folded together like a fan, the upper wings covering the tail and under- 

 wings. The butterfly always flies in the day time and generally in the morning 

 hours. A few moths fly in the day time, but the larger number after sunset in 

 the evening and during the night. It is impossible to give any rule which does 

 not have exceptions, but when a moth resembles a butterfly in some respects you 

 can readily tell the difference from its shape, the thickness of its body and the 

 fact that its antennae are not clubbed. Harris says that butterflies never pass 

 the winter in the egg state, moths rarely in the fly state. 



SEX OF MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. 



Every beginner is unnecessarily perplexed over the question of how to tell 

 the sex of moths and butterflies. Experience enables one to tell most forms at a 

 glance, but it is difficult to state a general rule for distinguishing them. When 

 I want the eggs of a particular species and am not sure about the sex I never 

 hesitate about putting a number of specimens in boxes. If some of them oviposit 

 the experiment is a success. If some of them prove to be males I have at least 

 prolonged their lives. In many moths and butterflies, for example Citheronia 



I'M 



