Subject: Camberwell Beauty in Herts.

From: "J.B.Murray (John Murray)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 09:25:54 +0000

I got a telephone call from Rev. Tom Gladwin last night, to say that after a
funeral service in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, yesterday (March 26th) there was a
very fresh-looking Camberwell Beauty (Nymphalis antiopa) flying about among the
mourners in the graveyard.  Perhaps the American name Mourning Cloak would be a
more appropriate appellation on this occasion.

This is the 3rd Camberwell Beauty sighting that I know of in 1996 in England.
One was seen flying 10 days ago in Bath, and as far as I know the one
hibernating near Cambridge is still alive.  The hard winter may have helped
survival, and probably provides the best chance since 1872 for this species to
breed in the UK for the first time.

I saw a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) on March 17th at Marshalls Heath, Herts.,
by far the earliest I have ever seen this species, and apparently there have
already been a large number of UK sightings; more than Brimstones (Gonepteryx
rhamni) and Small Tortoiseshells (Aglais urticae) so far.

John Murray
[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 27 Mar 1996 14:44:50 GMT

John Murray <[email-masked]> writes:

> funeral service in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, yesterday (March 26th) there was 
> a very fresh-looking Camberwell Beauty (Nymphalis antiopa) flying about among 
> the mourners in the graveyard.  Perhaps the American name Mourning Cloak 
> would be a more appropriate appellation on this occasion.       

Hmm ... maybe she was there 'mourning' the tragic death of her father & 
husband...

Nymphalis antiopa is named after the Greek Antiope (daughter of Nycteus)
who was surprised and raped by Zeus (in the form of a satyr). She fled in 
shame to Sicyon where she married the king Epopeus [curious thing to do ...].

In any event her father was mortified by events and _killed_ himself but not
before charging his brother Lycus to avenge his honour. Lycus seized
Sicyon, _killed_ Epopeus and took Antiope back to Eleuthere as a prisoner.

Relations between uncle and niece seem to have been patched up subsequently
since she bore twin sons Amphion and Zethus. [Amphion, is of course, the 
namesake of one of our favourite Sphinx moths, the Nessus Sphinx (Amphion
floridensis, until recently A. nessus) -- but that's another story!]

N.B. This rape of Antiope by Zeus is the subject of a rather fine painting
by Watteau in the Louvre. 

Cheers!

Christopher Majka
--
| Christopher Majka - Editor: Culture, Religion & Heritage: Chebucto     |
| Community Net -- Internet: <[email-masked]> & <[email-masked]> |
| Home Page: URL = http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~aa051/Profile.html         |

---

From: "Edward J.O'Connor" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 1996 19:11:14 -0500

Dear Christopher: A nice post and much appreciated here. I knew the
 story but not in the detail given. I think of the queen whenever I see
 N.Antiopa, which last occurence was on 13 March '96 in my garden in
 central New Jersey, snow still on the ground.
                           Please, more of the same.

 Edward J.O'Connor