common names

[Kenelm Philip]

> The Latin name of the genus, Limenitis, means "harbour keeper".

According to Brown's 'Composition of Scientific Words', 'limen' in Latin
means 'threshold'. 'limeno' in Greek is 'harbor'. Note that 'Gatekeeper'
is another English common name--that could be close to 'Limenitis' if the
word is actually Latin.

As regards Ford's version, note the following:

	I have a reproduction copy of Moses Harris' 'The Aurelian' (1766,
reprinted in 1986). In the plates are shown:

1) The Admirable (now _Vanessa atalanta_).

2) The White Admirable (now _Ladoga camilla_).

The editor of the reprint mentions that _V. atalanta_ was also called the
'Scarlet Admirable' by Moffet (in some later editions of his works. I
trie to check this in a reproduction copy of 'The Theater of Insects',
1658-- but no names were given by the figures of butterfiles in that
edition.

He also states that 'Admiral' was used by Albin & Dutfield well before
Harris' time, though apparently later than Moffet (or Muffet, or Mouffet,
as the name is variously spelled).

	So, _both_ names (Admirable & Admiral) have been used far back in
time, but 'Admirable' appears to be the older one. I suspect the complete
etymology may be more complicated than either Ford's version or Guppy's
version...

							Ken Philip
fnkwp at uaf.edu




 
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