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"....nor is it likely that the Grand Copper butterflies which fluttered among the swamp grasses attracted more than their passing glances...."

That's a quote from a book dated 1901 "Highways & Byways in East Anglia" by William A Dutt that I have just re-discovered on my bookshelf.

I love that - "Grand Copper". It's a far more majestic name than mere Large Copper. Just imagine though if the idea were to be extended: "Grand Skipper" or "Grand White" somehow doesn't sound quite right. However, "Grand Blue" or "Grand Fritillary" (Silver Washed) work fine as names.

The downside though would be the use of the opposite adjective. "Inferior Copper", "Inferior Blue" are decidedly demeaning names.

Jack

The old aurelians of the 18th century called the Camberwell Beauty the Grand Surprise. That's a great name I'd like to see revived. Perhaps we could now call the Small Tortoiseshell the Little Surprise or even the Totally Unexpected. The Swallowtail is obviously the Cat's Pyjamas.

Misha

I came across another butterfly reference in that book. The author clearly knew a little about a lot of things but lacked any depth of knowledge. Referring to Thetford Warren, he wrote:
"...I see scores of chalk-hill blues and small heaths fluttering around the clumps of gorse and broom."

Now I had heard a (bad) rumour of Chalkhill Blues at nearby Grimes Graves but that cannot be correct - the soil is not chalk or limestone. Now obviously Mr.Dutt in the 1901 book was wrong about Chalkhill Blues as he continues "...warm sunshine of a June afternoon." (Too early in the year). The heather warrens around Thetford have always struck me as suitable for Silver Studded Blue although I have never heard of any - even historic - reports of it ever occurring there. But in any case, in 1900, SS Blues would not have been flying in June (as they do today) in those days being very much a July butterfly. So that author's reference clearly meant Common Blues which I have seen in the area in reasonable numbers, eg at Grimes Graves.

Jack