WELCOME TO THE CFZ BLOG NETWORK: COME AND JOIN THE FUN

Half a century ago, Belgian Zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans first codified cryptozoology in his book On the Track of Unknown Animals.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) are still on the track, and have been since 1992. But as if chasing unknown animals wasn't enough, we are involved in education, conservation, and good old-fashioned natural history! We already have three journals, the largest cryptozoological publishing house in the world, CFZtv, and the largest cryptozoological conference in the English-speaking world, but in January 2009 someone suggested that we started a daily online magazine! The CFZ bloggo is a collaborative effort by a coalition of members, friends, and supporters of the CFZ, and covers all the subjects with which we deal, with a smattering of music, high strangeness and surreal humour to make up the mix.

It is edited by CFZ Director Jon Downes, and subbed by the lovely Lizzy Bitakara'mire (formerly Clancy), scourge of improper syntax. The daily newsblog is edited by Corinna Downes, head administratrix of the CFZ, and the indexing is done by Lee Canty and Kathy Imbriani. There is regular news from the CFZ Mystery Cat study group, and regular fortean bird news from 'The Watcher of the Skies'. Regular bloggers include Dr Karl Shuker, Dale Drinnon, Richard Muirhead and Richard Freeman.The CFZ bloggo is updated daily, and there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. Come and join us...

Search This Blog

WATCH OUR WEEKLY WEBtv SHOW

SUPPORT OTT ON PATREON

SUPPORT OTT ON PATREON
Click on this logo to find out more about helping CFZtv and getting some smashing rewards...

SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER



Unlike some of our competitors we are not going to try and blackmail you into donating by saying that we won't continue if you don't. That would just be vulgar, but our lives, and those of the animals which we look after, would be a damn sight easier if we receive more donations to our fighting fund. Donate via Paypal today...




Thursday, May 17, 2012

MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: THE ORIGINAL REPORT ON THE ONLY KNOWN APPEARANCE OF THE SOUTHERN FESTOON BUTTERFLY IN ENGLAND

Dear folks

According to the web link below, of the UK Butterflies web site, the only occasion the Southern Festoon (Zerynthia polyxena) butterfly has appeared in Britain was in May 1884. Fortunately a few days ago, I found the actual original newspaper report which I reproduce.

This url http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=polyxena gives the statement immediately below.

“A single specimen was caught by two boys on 27th May 1884 near Exeter, Devon, and it is believed that is was originally purchased as a pupa from a natural history dealer.”

The newspaper report, from The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette Daily Telegram May 31st 1884.Annotated by myself.

A STRANGE BUTTERFLY

To The Editor of The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette

Sir,


I had yesterday brought to me a very good specimen of the beautiful Thais polyxena(1), a European butterfly. It was captured in the immediate neighbourhood of the city (2) by two boys.The insect had by all appearance but just emerged from the pupa state , as its hind wings had not quite expanded to their full development. It was scarcely dead when I received it. What I should like to know is this – Has any lady or gentleman brought over from the Continent any larvæ or pupæ of foreign butterflies? This is one that had escaped ,perhaps, in the larvæ state. The insect is so unlike any of our British species that it is sure to attract attention, and it would be interesting to know how it got introduced. (3) (4)

According to Wikipedia the current distribution of the Southern Festoon is south-eastern France,Italy,Slovakia and Greece,covering all of the Balkans and reaching the south Kazakhstan and the Urals.

According to an archive weather chart of May 30th 1884 wind direction was from the east over Devon and not the south-east,which is where it should have been from to blow this butterfly in from France. This link should take you to a page which has a drop down menu on the left hand side (in German). You can put in the dates May 29 1884 and so on. The wind direction on May 29 was about ENE, 30 E
http://www.wetterzentrale.de/topkarten/fsslpeur.html

1. The name in 1884 for the Southern Festoon
2. Exeter
3. Indeed!
4. The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 31-5-1884

No comments: