64 



NATURAL SCIENCE NEWS. 



the world. I, too, was happy, for 

 if the little fellow would eat in 

 this way, surely he would live his 

 natural span. Yes, he revelled in 

 a green old age. 



For three days I continued to 

 feed him in this manner,how many 

 times a day I cau not say, but it was 

 often and often. I had not other 

 duties to call me away, so three 

 whole days was devoted to my pet. 

 To my surprise, on the fourth day, 

 when I went to feed him he flew 

 upon it, and commenced to unroll 

 his proboscis and to eat without 

 my aid. Ever after that, I was 

 his flower garden, his purveyor, or 

 whatever the butterflies may call 

 their storehouse. 



Now we were fast friends and 

 every day impressed upon me how 

 like a human being in all his ways 

 this insect was. I kept plants in 

 the room, and these were his rest- 

 ing place; but when the bright sun 

 shone in the window, he would fly 

 around as in the days of his out- 

 door existence. When I came in- 

 to the room, he would fly to me, 

 lighting upon my hands, my arms 

 or on my chest. This also would 

 he do if I were sitting in the room 

 reading, writing or sewing. These 

 attentions were always reciprocat- 

 ed by my offering some refresh- 

 ments. Generally they were ac- 

 cepted. If I placed him on a table, 

 or any flat surface, and then drew 

 my finger along, he would follow 

 it like a kitten, in every direction, 

 not flying, but keeping up a con- 

 tinuous walk: and then, when I 

 started to leave the table, he 

 would turn his head as knowingly 

 as a child or an animal. 



So thoroughly versed was my 

 butterfly in the ways of my home 

 that I could take him from room to 

 room, and even show him off in 

 the drawing-room when I had call- 

 ers. After the greetings were over, 

 I would place him on the lace cur- 

 tains for safety, lest in pleasant 

 converse he might be forgotten, 

 which might have meant death to 

 him and never ending regret to me. 

 I am quite sure you will think him 

 a dissipated butterfly when I tell 

 you of his strange ways at night. 

 More than once have I had to feed 

 him after 10 o'clock. When turn- 

 ing the gas up he would wake, fly 

 toward me, and unroll his probos- 

 cis. I had not the heart to refuse 

 his call for a drink or for some- 

 thing to eat, so would sit down by 

 him until all his wants were satis- 

 fied. In the meantime, I was 

 weary for sleep, and wondered if 

 ever before a tired sleepy woman 



had been known to sit up with a 

 hungry butterfly. 



In three weeks came the first 

 signs of approaching age. It was 

 in the dullness of the bright col- 

 oring and gloss; a few days more, 

 wrinkles appeared on the bod}' and 

 wings, and after eating he was not 

 so particular to plume himself. 

 Next, the appetite was wanting and 

 each day the strength failed. The 

 last week or ten days of his life I 

 had to feed him like an infant, un- 

 rolling the proboscis for each meal, 

 and after I thought he had fed long 

 enough take a camel's hair brush, 

 dip in tepid water, and wash his 

 proboscis, antennae and feet. No 

 longer did he constantly move 

 about, but was satisfied if near me, 

 to crawl over my hand. The three 

 days before he died he was in my 

 hand nearly all the time, whether 

 for warmth or love I can not say, 

 and in my hand he died. To as- 

 sure myself that I had done all 

 that possibly could be done to keep 

 him alive, I went to the library 

 and there read what was to be 

 learned about the butterflies, and 

 happy was I to know from the care 

 I had taken of mine, he had lived 

 far beyond his allotted time. — Miss 

 P. M. Gonlce in Cosmopolitan. 



The Birds of Mackinac Island. 



By Dr. Morris GibiS. 



Mackinac Island, lying in the 

 straits of that name, between 

 the lakes Michigan and Huron, is 

 rightly situated to receive the 

 transient visitatation of hordes of 

 migrating birds both spring and 

 autumn. Located in the waters 

 separating the two peninsulas, at 

 a point where the straits are less 

 than eight miles in width, and at 

 the jumping off point, as we may 

 well say, of the lower peninsula, 

 it necessarily follows that nearly, 

 if not quite all, the species that 

 pass through our state, should 

 visit this picturesque and histori- 

 cal spot. In truth, it is not unfair 

 to liken it, in its relation to mi- 

 gration, to the Rock of Gibraltar, 

 near to which pass all species 

 which are to reach Spain, and 

 most of those which seasonally 

 visit France and England. It is 

 safe to say that a careful list of 

 the birds of the island, together 

 with a list of the migrants and 

 those which pass near its shores, 

 would largely exceed a list of any 

 one of the southern counties. 



The actual number of perma- 

 nent resident birds on the island is 

 very small, and without a doubt 

 does not exceed six, and the win- 

 ter season would indeed appear 

 cheerless to a snowbound ornithol- 

 ogist there, were it not for. the prob- 

 able visitation of more northern 

 species, which straggle southward 

 irregularly, both as to numbers and 

 as to time of visitation. There 

 are without a doubt one hundred 

 and sixty summer residents on the 

 island of which at least one hundred 

 and forty are regular. In addition to 

 these, there are probably as many 

 more species which visit and pass 

 by the island during migrations. 

 Of the transients we know nothing 

 and this estimate may be too high,' 

 but I think it will be eventually 

 proven that this number is to be 

 increased. Reasoning from anal- 

 ogy we may claim that all of the 

 ducks and littoral species, as well 

 as a great many land birds, that 

 we know pass north of our con- 

 fines to breed, pass over the water 

 at this spot. 



Whhn I first visited the island 

 in June, 1885, there was nothing 

 to be seen but crows and gulls on 

 our approach, and I was told on 

 landing by a resident, that no 

 other birds existed there during 

 summer. Yet within twenty-four 

 hours I had recorded forty-two 

 species, without having recourse 

 to my gun. 



The island is largely covered 

 with small coniferous trees and 

 dense underbrush. In many quar- 

 ters are regular forests, but there 

 are few large trees. Excellent 

 protection is afforded the smaller 

 birds, and as a consequence they 

 breed there in great numbers. 



Mr. Stewart E. White and his 

 brother Gilbert White spend the 

 summer months there, and have 

 compiled a careful list. This list, 

 with my own, after my last visit 

 in August, 1 89 1, embraced nearly 

 one hundred and fifty species. * 

 Of the recorded birds, the war- 

 blers took first rank as to num- 

 bers, there being twenty-six spe- 

 cies. The Hermit and Swainson's 

 Thrushes breed plentifully. One 

 of the commonest birds is the 

 Cedar Waxwing. 



No one qualified for the work 

 has been there during migrations, 

 nor yet during the winter, I be- 

 lieve, and there is an excellent 

 opportunity for observation at this 

 point. 



* Catalogue of Birds of Mackinac Island by 

 S. E. White. Auk, July, 1893. (143 species 



embraced.) 



