The expression, "Dead Butterflies"

[Heath, Fred]

Dear Leroy,
	You are absolutely right in that I used the term  "dead butterflies"
when "specimens" would have been a lot less inflammatory. I know that,
especially given the sensibilities of many folks on this list towards the
collecting vs. watching issue, I should not have chosen that word. And for
that I apologize. 
	In addition, I must apologize for discussing shotguns with the
not-so-veiled connection to nets. I know that equating guns (which kill) to
nets (which don't) is a push. And I also understand that comparing birds
which reproduce a lot slower than insects is also unfair. 
	Not as excuse, but so you can understand my motivation, Chris Durden
triggered my response with his use of the word "hearsay" which has a
negative connotation (we all know, from watching TV courtroom drama, is not
admissable in court) in regard to counts which do not take vocher specimens.
Again I must  reiterate that I know of Chris' anti-NABA feelings. I agree
Chris that there are butterflies which can't be identified with certainty
with only binoculars and so it up to the individual count compiler to decide
his or her criteria for accepting records, especially of rarities. This is
the same for Christmas Bird Counts and some compiliers there do a sloppy
job. But I believe overall that the majority of the data gleaned from such
regular counts is valuable in many ways. This is one of the reasons I wish
that Chris, even with his disdain for NABA, would publish his Austin area
counts with the rest of them. I know from from this group as well as private
e-mails, Chris is always ready to share his considerable lep knowledge.  
	Which brings me to a final thought. Many of the posting on Lep-L
seem to be quite polarizing (including my last one). In reality, we all know
that the world isn't full with just extremes of behavior. We don't have
either NABA hating, butterfly massacring folks on one side with binocular
carrying, net shredding folks on the other. I've learned a lot and will
continue to learn a lot from collectors (many who can identify butterflies
better with the unaided eye than many of us can with our 8x42's), as well as
using collections (for me this is the mostly the Los Angeles County Museum
of Natural History) and I believe that increased number of people interested
in butterflies through such organizations such as NABA will increase our
butterfly data base and our clout for the continuing battle against
diminshing natural diversity. 
---Best regards, Fred

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Leptraps at aol.com [SMTP:Leptraps at aol.com]
> Sent:	Thursday, June 07, 2001 6:39 AM
> To:	LEPS-L at lists.yale.edu
> Subject:	RE: The expression, "Dead Butterflies"
> 
> The words "dead butterflies" seems to be another expression of the anti
> collecting movement. Jeffrey Glassberg used the term "dead butterflies" in
> a recent book review, it has appeared in a number of recent postings on
> this and other lists, and, the term "illustration of specimens" has been
> replaced by "pictures of dead butterfies" by many watchers and those
> associated with NABA. 
> 
> If you are a Lepidopterist, it almost makes you want to spit!
> 
> Clearing my throat,
> 
> Leroy C. Koehn
> 202 Redding Road
> Georgetown, KY
>      40324-2622
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
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