Glassberg Article in Birding

[Hank Brodkin]

In the new March/April issue of BIRDING there is an article "The Birth of Butterflying" by Jeffrey Glassberg where Jeff seems to take single handed credit for the birth of this avocation.  It distresses us that there is no mention of Robert Michael Pyle, the prize-winning naturalist and conservationist whose book, which preceded Jeff's guides,  Jeff mentions but not the man.  

He also seems to be extending the collecting debate into a type of class warfare mentioning at one point the "stigma of netting".

I quote a portion of the article:
"In the Northeast, large numbers of butterfliers are very active in the field and have developed very excellent field-identification skills.  In some northeastern parks, one is more likely to encounter groups of butterflyers than birders.  In contrast, in parts of the West, much of the discussion is still dominated by a small group of collectors and netters - but this will rapidly change."

I am sure that the many active butterfly enthusiasts in Texas, California. Oregon. Washington, Arizona and elsewhere will be happy to learn this.

Ironically there are two strips of pinned specimens decorating the page edges of the article.

Where would Jeff be without the shoulders of the collectors who preceded him?  How often has Jeff studied collections in museums and elsewhere to increase HIS knowledge?  AND WHY DOES HE INSIST ON TRYING TO BUILD A DIVIDE BETWEEN PEOPLE WHOSE INTERESTS AND LOVE OF BUTTERFLIES ARE EQUAL TO HIS OWN.

Hank Brodkin
Member of the SEABA Chapter of NABA
Carr Canyon, AZ
hbrodkin at cox.net
Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide
http://members.cox.net/hbrodkin
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