Jon Downes writes...
My appeal for volunteers during the keynote speech at this year's Weird Weekend was answered by an enthusiastic young couple Tim and Graidi Taylor-Rose. Every other Sunday they wind their way to Woolsery and do CFZstuff that has been long overdue to be done. This includes going through nearly a century's worth of the Transactions of the Devonshire Association which are on loan to the CFZ from our old pal Lionel Beer...
The comma butterfly is now a quite common resident of Devon, particularly the south of the county. But it was not always so. I have read how it is a lepidopteral success story, but never seen the historical evidence for myself. Until now!
The Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album) in Devon. In a letter to Nature of Oct. 26, 1929, Dr. Sherwill Dawe records the occ
urrence of the above insect at Chiswick. This letter elicited others from correspondents who had seen the insect, in various parts of the country. A review of the insect's range was supplied by Mr. N. D. Riley of the British Museum. It appears to have been radially dispersed from a Wye Valley centre since about 1915, or somewhat previously, first in a north and north-eastern direction, later eastern and southern. Of late years it has reached the south-west, being recorded from Devon in 1922 and again in 1929. In 1928 I had two fine specimens in my garden for several days during September. It was also found in Dorset the same and following years. It would appear that Devonshire is at present the limit of its extension in a south-westerly direction,and it is to be hoped that no wanton destruction of it may be the result of its appearance in the County. G. T. HARRIS
My appeal for volunteers during the keynote speech at this year's Weird Weekend was answered by an enthusiastic young couple Tim and Graidi Taylor-Rose. Every other Sunday they wind their way to Woolsery and do CFZstuff that has been long overdue to be done. This includes going through nearly a century's worth of the Transactions of the Devonshire Association which are on loan to the CFZ from our old pal Lionel Beer...
The comma butterfly is now a quite common resident of Devon, particularly the south of the county. But it was not always so. I have read how it is a lepidopteral success story, but never seen the historical evidence for myself. Until now!
The Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album) in Devon. In a letter to Nature of Oct. 26, 1929, Dr. Sherwill Dawe records the occ
urrence of the above insect at Chiswick. This letter elicited others from correspondents who had seen the insect, in various parts of the country. A review of the insect's range was supplied by Mr. N. D. Riley of the British Museum. It appears to have been radially dispersed from a Wye Valley centre since about 1915, or somewhat previously, first in a north and north-eastern direction, later eastern and southern. Of late years it has reached the south-west, being recorded from Devon in 1922 and again in 1929. In 1928 I had two fine specimens in my garden for several days during September. It was also found in Dorset the same and following years. It would appear that Devonshire is at present the limit of its extension in a south-westerly direction,and it is to be hoped that no wanton destruction of it may be the result of its appearance in the County. G. T. HARRIS 
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