‘BOTTLE-FED” BUTTERFLY.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1926, Page 1

‘BOTTLE-FED” BUTTERFLY.

LONDON, Juno ■>.

At iho butterfly and moth “farm” of ATr L. AY. Newman, the lepidopterist. Bexley Kent, many of the insects ;>ro emerging from the chrysalises, while egg-laving is going on apace.

When a reporter visited the farm yesterday ‘afternoon, Afr Newman was away in the country on one of his periodic trips in search of new specimens, from which he will breed iiirther quantities—some 50,000 a. year—to supply the London Zoo, iuminierahin schools, and the Colonies. A large order was only yesterday received from the New Zealand Government. Air IT. 0. Webster, who assists Air Newman, opened one of the doors of o hothouse full of gauze-covered cages, in which there .glinted tho sparkling colours of fluttering wings. FEEDING FROM HAND. “Here,” lie said, “is the ‘Swallow Tail.’ We only got ‘Swallow Tails’ from tlio fens. They are wonderfully tame. Tliov feed from your hand, when you know them. Wot get a, large demand for these from people who want to 'add to the colour in their gardens.” Tic picked up a butterfly and it perched on his hand. When the butterflies are hungry they will take sugar ami water or diluted honey from the palm of a lmml, sucking it up then long, tendril-liko tongues.

In another corner of the hothouse a lad. was engaged in forcing 'a delicate butterfly to feed on a piece of cotton wool soaked in sugar and water. It had been put in the cage in a weak condition ; hence the necessity of “bottlefeeding.” Afterwards it was put back in the cage to by eggs. Many freak varieties of the Fritillarics have been sold for as much as £25 each. The farm “hands” are always on the look-out for a strangely coloured butterfly, for it mains a handsome payment.