Don't blame the moths! I imagine these seasonal names were correct when the Victorian vicars first applied them but we've burnt an awful lot of carbon since then. Maybe the next revision of the checklist could arbitrarily start correcting some of them (I'll propose "February, March & April Moth" for March Moth). They could even start putting right some of the misconceived scientific binomials - I know it is a butterfly but Thecla betulae springs immediately to mind, a species which has nothing to do with birch! Of course, I'll hopefully be long gone by the time that happens...
It's a generational and education thing. When they were first named they all obeyed the rules and knew when December was. Nowadays they are not bothered about the rules and a lot of them don't even know when it is December!
Thanks ever so for these points - it certainly is an interesting possible way of measuring climate and environmental change. I like the idea of them getting rebellious, though, like the youth of today (although the Sixties were better). All v best, M - great to read of all those berkshire moths btw. We got diverted via Buckingham the other night on our way home from Leeds and there seemed to be an awful lot of moths in the headlights compared to Oxon. Presumably all trying to find Dave's garden.
Don't blame the moths! I imagine these seasonal names were correct when the Victorian vicars first applied them but we've burnt an awful lot of carbon since then. Maybe the next revision of the checklist could arbitrarily start correcting some of them (I'll propose "February, March & April Moth" for March Moth). They could even start putting right some of the misconceived scientific binomials - I know it is a butterfly but Thecla betulae springs immediately to mind, a species which has nothing to do with birch! Of course, I'll hopefully be long gone by the time that happens...
ReplyDeleteMartin
ReplyDeleteIt's a generational and education thing.
When they were first named they all obeyed the rules and knew when December was.
Nowadays they are not bothered about the rules and a lot of them don't even know when it is December!
Thanks ever so for these points - it certainly is an interesting possible way of measuring climate and environmental change. I like the idea of them getting rebellious, though, like the youth of today (although the Sixties were better). All v best, M - great to read of all those berkshire moths btw. We got diverted via Buckingham the other night on our way home from Leeds and there seemed to be an awful lot of moths in the headlights compared to Oxon. Presumably all trying to find Dave's garden.
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