common names

[Cris Guppy or Aud Fischer]

I also have a childhood memory of being told that the various British naval
fleets had admirals with black uniforms striped with different colors  (red
fleet, white fleet, blue fleet, etc). Hence red admiral, white admiral, etc.
I have no idea if that is true, perhaps someone from Britain has some
thoughts???

Cris.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris J. Durden" <drdn at mail.utexas.edu>
To: <cguppy at quesnelbc.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2001 12:53 PM
Subject: Re: common names


> Hey, that makes real good sense and explains red and white admirals,
> related by behaviour more than by phylogeny.
> ................Chris Durden
>
> At 09:34 AM 4/21/2001 -0700, you wrote:
> >As I point out in the Butterflies of BC book (references are cited in the
> >book), "Admiral" is not derived from "Admirable", that was an error
> >perpetrated by Ford in his book on butterflies. The Latin name of the
genus,
> >Limenitis, means "harbour keeper". The common name was used before the
Latin
> >name, so it suggests that Limenitis is derived from the common name. An
> >naval Admiral can be though of as a "harbour keeper" or guardian of a
> >harbour, especially back in the days of sail when guarding harbours was a
> >major naval function. That common English folk would have noted that
> >Admirals, of both types, guard a location and dart out to intercept
> >intruders and investigate their identity. Hence the use of Admiral for
the
> >butterfly. It will never be possible to prove this hypothesis, but it is
> >better than any other I have heard.
> >
> >Cris Guppy
>
>
>


 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl