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<br>Nature’s Circle
<br>P.O. Box 186, Woods Hole, MA 02543
<br>nature@cape.com
<br><A HREF="http://home.cape.com/nature">http://home.cape.com/nature</A>
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<div align=right>May 7, 2004</div>
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<p><br>Editor: Please publish this book review in your paper.
If you will not be able to do so fairly soon, or would like a shorter version,
please be in touch with me. Thank you. Alison Robb
<br>
<p>A Book Review by Alison Robb
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<p><b>Butterflies Across Cape Cod; A Guide To Finding, Attracting
and Observing Butterflies On the Cape. </b>By Mark J. Mello
and Tor Hansen. Cape Cod Museum of Natural History & Lloyd
Center for Environmental Studies. John Hay Institute Publication No. 1.
January 2004. 114 pages. Bibliohgraphy, Appendix
of Latin names, index.
<p> The first butterfly guide for Cape Cod is truly a guide -- a guide
to the species and a guide to many sites. There is a section on basic
understanding of the anatomy and life cycles of butterflies and their host
plants, as well as information and education on butterfly conservation.
Thirteen fine line drawings by Tor Hansen illustrate this section.
<p> The preface is by John Hay, noted naturalist, writer and first
director of the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History.
<p> Each of the 76 species known as residents or common immigrants
to Cape Cod is represented with its very carefully described appearance,
its habits, range, habitat, food plants and flight periods. On
16 plates are color photographs of live insects in the field, the
majority of which were taken by Tor Hansen, naturalist, photographer, illustrator.
There is a key to families and subfamilies of butterflies.
<p> Then follows a section about habitats -- wetlands, grasslands,
old fields, Scrub Oak barrens -- illustrating the host and food plants
therein. Unique to this guide is the section which lists and
fully describes particular sites on the Cape, the habitats within, and
the butterflies to be found there. Explicit directions are given
to each site. They are sited on a central map of Cape Cod.
<p> This is one section which sets this guide apart from others.
Should I decide to visit Evans Field in Provincetown, I find a description
of the habitat -- a wet meadow with wild cranberry bog on the west side
nurturing the Bog Copper, wetland/woods edge where the Appalachian Brown
is found. Other less common species are the Striped Hairstreak, Silver-bordered
Fritillary and Brown and Pine Elfins in season.
<p> Should I be looking for a site in Barnstable, I might choose
to visit the Cape Cod Airport at Marstons Mills, which provides ideal grassland
habitat and woodland fringe for a wide range of butterflies. "Over
thirty-five species have been seen by the authors at the this site, a remarkably
high number for a single site on Cape Cod."
<p> The index contains all references to butterfly and plant common
and latin names as well as site localities, morpological definitions, and
organizations.
<p> Author Mark J. Mello was attracted to moths at the age of six
when he observed the emergence of aCecropia from its cocoon.. His
attention has hardly strayed except to include butterflies in his studies.
and coastal ecology of Cape Cod. He earned a Master's of Science
in Zoology at the University of Maryland. In 1986 he was appointed
Coordinator of Research at the Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies;
he was Director of the Lloyd Center from 1990 -1999 and is currently its
Director of Research.
<p> Tor Hansen studied butterflies and moths at an equally early age
and all through his youth. He majored in Zoology at the University
of Arizona and earned a Master of Fine Arts from the City University
of New York. This combination, plus endless hours of observation
in the field, enabled him to become an extraordinarily fine biology illustrator
and artist. He lectures with his photographic slides on butterfly
ecology and evolutionary biology, leads field walks for several organizations
including the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, and continues to share
his knowledge and enthusiasm with school children.
<p> The importance of butterflies to the web of life as pollinators
and as a food source of most of our neotropical migrant birds is emphasized
by both authors.
<p> I find that this little book is just what I have been waiting
for as a Cape Cod guide to butterflies, and more. It is readable,
intriguing with its site descriptions, well designed for carrying in the
field, (about 6" x 8") with a spiral binding. The Cape Cod Museum
of Natural History plans a program of butterfly classes and field trips
this coming season, as does Nature's Circle in Falmouth, with this guide
as a welcome basis of study and information and with the authors in person
when possible.
<p>Highly recommended.
<p>Alison Robb, nature@cape.com
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