AH INSECT Z00

Evening Star, Issue 19001, 24 July 1925, Page 1

AH INSECT ZOO

LATEST NOVELTY IN AMERICA, j

New York’s insect zoo is now building daily, with the help of Nature and Dr Frank F. Lutz, curator of the tomology Department of tho American Museum of Natural History (says tho Now York ‘Evening Post’). Just as John Burroughs held that “a bird lu the bush is worth two in tho hand,’ 1 ' Dr Lutz believes a bug on the branch is worth any number impaled on pins, The branch is on the Harriman section of Palisades Park. • There a visitor found Dr Lutz recently, trowel lu hand, planting a garden on this fortyacre wooded plot about that many miles from New York, on the New York-Tuxedo turnpike. “Kitchen garden, ohP” Tho entomologist smiled as h« planted another pepper and gave it a drink from a tin cup. Then he said; “ No, not quite. You see, when visitors come here this summer they will simply make a tour with naturalist guides. The guide will point out different plants, trees, and shrubs, explaining what kinds of insects dwell on each. He will pass the trout brook and the visitor will be shown the kinds or insects hovering over or around the stream. Finally, he will come to a badly-kept garden, and the parasites on various vegetables will be observed, and this ” —Dr Lutz waving his hand over his quarter-acre of brown mould —" this will be that garden.” This will be the first of tho insect zoos. Within reach of the station each summer are a hundred camps few boys and girl? and grown-ups. The weekly population is about 8,000, and' it changes frequently. As many »« 2,000 motors boom over Bear Mountain Bridge, .just at hand, on good rammer days. Ail these people may park thefp cars on a. shady by-road and be escorted, through the insect zoo. _ It is an educational idea, widen h Dr Lutz’s own. The instruction wRI not be in entomology alone. Botany, denrology, zoology, are parts of thja off-hand curriculum in natural history. Dr Lutz will not be soje cicerone, Thera will 1)0 a number of teachers la 4 near-by hut, now being put up by tba park authorities. There will do boys- " regular fellows,” for the boys, and young women for the girls. Dr Lutz led tho way on a. winding path for a tour of his station. Tjbo grass underfoot was starred with cm* qnefoil. Wild azaleas bloomed In bright hushes, which buret unexpectedly from behind trees, oak and maple and hickory. Wild geraniums pushed through the” tall grass here and there. The entomologist parted some; hushes on a by-path and exclaimed in elation: ‘ Look'!” . , One followed his finger to a patch of almost-hidden moccasin flowers, like Hie balloons roped to tho ground grrfen stems. “We’ll hnvo to move the path so those will not he trodden on,” he said, “We want to show there are good in‘sects. There are very low injurious insects. Take the la.dyhug, for example. I once came upon an old woman laboriouslv picking hidybugs from her dying potato plants ami dropping them in a can of kerosene. Yet the ladybug lives on the plant lice which kill potato plants. She was doing the very tiling calculated to destroy her patch. And down in Florida I was unable to convince an old lollow that the ladybug was not the cause of the ‘ blight,’ as he called it. The insect zoo will show visitors that Nature has a use for all her bogs, beetles, bees.” The path wound past a blackberry

bush. You would hare no homes there if it were not- lor insects,” said Dr liiiiz, motioning at the green-cnrved stalks.

" How is that?” “ Because the insects pollinate the blossoms winch become fruit.” The route through the tract which has been laid out by Dr Lutss makes several approacljcs and one crossing of Wildcat Brook. _ I‘lach of these places Anil he an aquarium for different insects. One will be rippling sunny water, another, deep lighted wateij a third, still and shaded water. Difrorent insects dwell in each. Small cage* will hold specimens for tho visitors to behold at close range. . Trees and hushes will be placarded all over tho forty-acre tract. A celluloid case has been devised into which will bo slipped the printed cards, which will need frequent change, as the insects shift with, the season.