BF thru Bins-West by Jeff Glassberg

[Dameron, Wanda]

Dear LepFriends....

	If you have any interest in butterflies in the western U.S. and/or
Mexico, you REALLY NEED to obtain the above book ASAP!!!   

	It is supercalifragilisticexpialidosis!!!  I've used Jeff's
books for the Washington-New York area, the East and even a bit of
Dragonflies, but this has a lot of butterflies I know fairly
well from personal experience....   Admittedly, that mostly means
California, but have taken butterfly trips to south Texas, Colorado, two
to Washington, several to se Arizona and even more to Mexico.   

	HALLELUJAH!!!   We have field pictures in a fieldguide format with
marvelous photos, that are easy to use and compare similar appearing
species!   Not only are there usually views of both above and below,
there are also views of both genders when needed, many with subspecies
to show extent of variance and of course species on the same page are to
the same scale! Though naturally only undersides of most hairstreaks are
pictured, it has series of a species pictured such as 1 1/4 pages of
Variable Checkerspots, while often there will only be two species per
page.  But of course, we have come to expect that kind of detail from
Jeff's books!

	For icing on the cake, they are all at the same angle or facing the
same direction for easy comparison!  I know that sounds like a small
thing, but I have been known to make 20 or so homemade area butterfly
books for myself, cutting up pictures from whatever books or copies of
pictures that friends have shared....   I can readily testify that when
I cut to see them all straight on, there are losts of strange blank
corners! The enormous number of hours he must have spent in research for
the detailed text that includes important info on families and
subfamilies or other groupings, identification differences with similar
species plus the usual caterpillar foodplants, habitat, abundance and
flight periods.  Additionally, he also had to find the bugs to
photograph!   Looks like 99.9% of the over 1100 pix are his!   Like
Sibley's Birds, when doing entire book yourself, he was able to maintain
a consistent very high quality.   MANY more weeks went into the maps,
let alone getting all the pix on a page to relative size, placing them
so as to make sense not only taxonomically but for ID purposes.   It
must have taken months, maybe years in the field taking the marvelous
pictures.  I just type blurbs and either copy or do cut and paste for my
books and it takes  f o r e v e r.  But I digress....

	Thinking I would peruse the new book that had arrived today while
taking a long butterfly hike, started looking at it at 4:30 pm--over 9
hours ago.  I figured there were going to be lots of problems with
blues, had heard there would be very few of the Mexican associated
species or immigrants, and that the fritillaries would inevitably be
absolutely hopeless.  I dug out my Northern & Southern Calif. books that
had put together.   Well, I tell you--there was NO comparison.   While
my local subspecies were not always pictured in the "BTB-West," (also
some
missing from my books) there were species and subspecies that haven't
been pictured previously anwhere to my knowledge--and that includes the
D'Abrera series!

	Glassberg mentions upfront that the book went to press before the NABA
committee finished its decision-making and some of the names may not be
the same but haven't compared it to the new list yet, tho there seems to
be a carefull go-slow approach about the proposed splits, many of which
are blues, perhaps waiting for the more scientific community of  LepSoc
to step up to the plate.....  In any event, there is a section
explaining some of the problems by complex groupings or species.  One
item I REALLY APPRECIATE is the listing of where & when each picture was
taken, which of course allows one to know whether it is likely to be
your local subspecies.

	As for the fritillaries, there are multiple pix per species, and as
usual with clues of how to identify groups and individuals.   It really
makes me anxious for our planned Sierra trips this summer, to try it
out.

	Many of you know my passion for tropical species....   In a quick
count, I can add picture references to my Mexican Illustration (&
distribution) list for well over 240 species!  I am absolutely
delighted!! One could make a nice start on No. Mex. book by assembling
Mex. species from BTB-West & East!  There is even a Cyna Blue (not in
U.S.)
which haven't found a decent pix of any type anywhere!   Also Green,
Purple & Bluewings, along w/White Peacock, Common Mestra, Malachite, Red
Rim, Tropical Buckeye, Dusky Emperor, both Ruddy & Many-banded
Daggerwings, Creamy Stripestreak, Sonoran Hairstreak (not in U.S. at
all, but both winter & summer forms), Tailless &  2 forms Lantana
Scrub-Hairstreaks a full page of Longtails, 4 of the Banded-Skippers: 
Golden, Chisos, Sonoran & Brown, a Mottled Bolla that you can really see
marks--(o.k. so it's one of the very few specimens, field pix seem to
come out black), Fritzgaertner's Flat, Violet-clouded & Violet-banded
Skippers, etc, etc.   

	Another surprize!  Even with the much higher numbers of species in the
west, this book is slightly thinner than "the East," so easy enough to
carry in the field.  East 248 pages vs. 374 in West.  It's a good trick 
yet the pages seem very sturdy.  But.... would you believe that the West
has 126 plates compared to 71 in the East???   This is accomplished
largely by placing the text and distribution maps opposite the plates,
similar format to the National Geographic Bird Fieldguide-- which I
prefer by far.....

	Is it perfect?  No, of course not; however it has certainly set a new
and elevated standard for butterfly fieldguides.  It doesn't have the
usual obligatory Species List with space for recording when & where you
had your view of the species.  However, like the "East," pix & text are
on a user friendly white background so that one CAN add notes.   I'm
betting Jeff's guides will provide the interest, impetus and publisher
interest to start an explosion of more localized, indepth books in the
next 5-10 years, which compared to birds, was more like 50 years between
the first Peterson and localized books came into being.   We have the
advantage of the birders crossing over with similar skills & interest in
nature involved plus ability to socilaize more easily AND at a more
realistic time of day.....   

	Jeff certainly gets my admiration and applause not only for his
tremendous books, but the entire package of putting NABA together and
promoting publicity about butterflies, that will undoubtedly entice many
others interest in butterflies... perhaps even start some youngsters to
consider this field of study.   In any event his many years of effort
toward jump-starting this field, will surely contribute to raising
additional awareness of the need for more conservation.... and possibly
too, our friends that had thought our interest in butterflies as a bit
wierd, may now with these beautiful books, think we're not as crazy as 
earlier imagined!   :):)

	Jeff's books just keep getting better & better, so do yourself a favor
& enjoy these critters...   (Really, no financial interest!)

				Cheers, Wanda

PS:  Heard these books are available somewhere in the east and
understand LA Audubon <laas at ix.netcom.com> will have them in a week or
so and imagine Bio-Quip <bioquip at aol.com> will also, but so far no
reports  from web bookstores etc.  Do know it will retail in Ca stores
for $21.55 incl. tax.   While stocks last at Naturally Curious in Texas,
it may be purchased for $17.95, shipping included.  toll free:
888-258-4687 or http://www.naturallycurious.com


-- 
Wanda Dameron
Flutterby Press
LA-NABA, LepSoc, ATL, Lorquin, Xerces
23424 Jonathan St., Los Angeles, Ca. 91304
818-340-0365     be496 at lafn.org

 
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