The Saturn
Presentation of this planet and its moons, including ring and creatures
- Chapter 18 -
Flying insects. The Saturn fly. The flying star. The giant butterfly corn and the utilization of its plumage.
If you look about the earth you will find, besides the many species of birds, an even larger number of classes of species of those small winged animals which are known to you under the general name of flying insects. Such creatures also exist in large numbers on Saturn, in a great variety of species and kinds. As on earth, the fly is one of the most important insects amongst them. This is also the only animal on Saturn which resembles the fly on earth in every respect, though on the lakes and rivers you find a larger kind of fly In countless numbers. This fly is bluish-white during the day. After sunset, when it is usually very active, it illuminates like a light star, almost like the lantern fly (genera Fulgora Laternaria) in America and in other southern tropical countries. Of course, this larger species of Saturnian fly surpasses all those on earth in the brightness of its light, because its light is completely white and it is larger than any flying insect on earth. At night the Saturnites often enjoy the playful flight of these insects when thousands of them criss-cross the air.
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This is an animal that is noteworthy and belongs to the class of the inhabitants of the air. Another kind of insect, which is at home on Saturn and on no other planet, is the "flying star." This animal begins its particular vital activity only at night. Its habitat during the day is the well-known pyramid tree. At night, just after sunset, it is an uplifting spectacle for the Saturnites, when at dusk thousands of such illuminated stars fly away from a pyramid tree.
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Why is this insect given the name "flying star"? Because it has, on each side of its elongated round body, three pointed pyramidal wings that shine very brightly; when these wings are spread out it gives this insect the shape of a six-pointed star. When this insect is completely grown, it has a diameter of 9 inches and its wings shine particularly brightly during flight. Since the flying star does not stray too far from its abode, these giant trees adopt a radiating appearance throughout the night when thousands of stars buzz around in all directions.
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Besides this glowing insect, there are a number of other insects which glow at night in various colors. However, their light is not as strong and they are considerably smaller. That is why the Saturnites pay less attention to them. There are also several larger groups of birds; by night their plumage emits a very bright light, especially when in flight.
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Since there is not much more to be found which is of particular importance in the insect kingdom, we will immediately turn our attention to the kingdom of the birds. And while we are on this bridge of transition we will dedicate some of our attention to the butterflies.
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Just as the butterflies on earth carry the most beautiful colors and markings on their wings, on Saturn this applies even more so. A butterfly which is known as com is the largest and most magnificent of all the butterflies on this celestial body. When it spreads its wings it covers 1,719 square yards of ground. Its body is approximately 120 feet long and has a diameter of almost 6 feet. Its feet are stronger than those of an elephant on earth. Each foot has six members and is structured in such a manner that it can be extended when necessary. Its feelers look almost like two poplar trees which protrude from its head; the feelers have branches which are in regular intervals right and left of each other, similar to the arrangement of the needles on some coniferous trees. The proboscis is longer and stronger than that of an elephant on earth. And this is what this butterfly looks like: In accordance with its body it resembles a robust creature, but that is not the case at all. This creature is extraordinarily shy and is very difficult to apprehend. And this difficulty is increased significantly by its swift flight.
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The young girls on Saturn are the best qualified and most skillful in capturing this animal, because it is much more effortless for them to float in the air than the males. For this purpose they use a pair of artificial wings and follow the butterfly with great speed. When they catch it in the air, there is great jubilation among them; they use everything the butterfly provides for decorating their clothing, because there is hardly a planet where the female gender, especially the younger generation, attaches as much value to pretty clothing as on Saturn. In order to understand why this butterfly is of so much value it will be necessary to show its splendor. It will, however, be fairly difficult to give you a proper idea of the supernatural beauty of this butterfly. It wings are completely square, except that they have a tapered tip on both sides at the ends towards the head, which is approximately 9 feet long and closely resembles a wide sword.
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The color of the upper part of the wing looks like brightly polished rose-colored gold. On this golden surface hang a large number of the most beautiful feathers of all possible colors. These colors sparkle in a polished metallic radiance and change with the slightest movement. The feathers are attached to the surface of the wings in such an order that the most beautiful markings and forms emerge through this. These markings are not of a permanent nature as they are on the wings of your butterflies; but the order is such that entirely different and wonderful forms appear continuously through the different movements by which the colors are changed. The edges of the wings are adorned with feathers similar to the train of a peacock on earth, except that they are much larger and more vivaciously scintillating in their blaze of color. The underside of the wings is similar to a polished gold surface, as if covered with a fine green layer of paint. The feet of this butterfly are also attired with the most magnificent feathers as well as the entire body. The feelers, however, are the most beautiful part of this animal; its main stem is extremely light and looks completely like translucent gold. If you can imagine, it reflects all kinds of different colors with every movement, almost like a cut diamond stick to which the same kind of feathers with which the edges of the wings are adorned are attached on both sides. The proboscis is a dazzling white color and sparingly wound around with ribbons that surpass a rainbow in their splendor of colors.
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The most wonderful thing are the eyes of this butterfly. You would not be able to look into them because of their tremendous sparkle, just as you cannot look at the sun when it rises or sets. When the butterfly is killed, the splendor of its eyes ceases. That is why the eyes are not valued as much. However, regardless of this, they are carefully removed and the liquid is drained. Through skillful preparation the women make a kind of handbag or purse out of them which, because of its translucency and durability, is used by the elegant ladies of this planet, as on earth the so-called "Ridicule" which is either a net-like bag or knitted bag. Whatever this butterfly provides, nothing is discarded except for the naked inner body; everything else is used for adornment in the most extraordinary manner.
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Why does this kind of finery have such extraordinary value? There are three reasons: first, this beautiful creature, because of its rarity, is very hard to come by; second, the feathers are very durable - the women on Saturn consider them to be indestructible; and third, the feathers are unbelievably light and retain their color and splendor.
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There is a group of birds whose feathers are similar to those of this butterfly. These bird feathers are offered by certain profiteers on Saturn as the "real thing," but there are also welleducated experts who can differentiate the real feathers from the false, the same as jewelers on earth can differentiate an imitation from a precious stone. But beware when such a swindler falls into the hands of the women to whom he sold these false feathers -they sharpen the quill of the false feathers and scratch him with it all over so that in the future he will not dare to sell imitation merchandise to someone else; furthermore, no one will buy anything more from a merchant who bears these kinds of scars.
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This is our famous butterfly. You have learned how this animal is captured and what it is used for; it is not really necessary to mention how the women on Saturn use it as an adornment. But in passing it can be mentioned that some women who are very vain cover their entire bodies with the wings of this butterfly, so that when you look at them they look almost like the butterfly itself This should suffice, because it is not necessary to learn more about it, and as far as I am concerned this display of vanity is no more pleasing to Me here on Saturn than it is on earth.
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You can well imagine that besides this butterfly, there are still countless numbers of such animals in all colors, kinds, species and sizes, and you can deduce this easily from the multifariousness of everything that is on this planet.