Subject
Butterflies in New Wye
From
Date
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The people who have read about Nabokov's butterflies probably
already know this, but nobody has mentioned it. The Atlantis
Fritillary, /Speyeria atlantis/ (W. H. Edwards), occurs south to
eastern West Virginia and western Virginia
<http://www.nearctica.com/butter/plate14/Satlantis.htm>, while
the Diana (Fritillary), /S. diana/, occurs north to that
region
<http://entweb.clemson.edu/museum/webonly/local/lbfly/lbfly9.htm>.
This fits with "He never tired of illustrating by means of
these examples the extraordinary blend of Canadian Zone and
Austral Zone that 'obtained,' as he put it, in that particular
spot of Appalachia where at our altitude of about 1,500 feet
northern species of birds, insects and plants commingled with
southern representatives. As most literary celebrities, Shade
did not seem to realize that a humble admirer who has cornered
at last and has at last to himself the inaccessible man of
genius, is considerably more interested in discussing with him
literature and life than in being told that the 'diana'
(presumably a flower) occurs in New Wye together with the
'atlantis' (presumably another flower), and things of that sort."
(Note to line 238.)
So this is yet more evidence that New Wye is in or near
western Virginia.
Jerry Friedman lives at the southern end of the Atlantis
Fritillary's western range.
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
already know this, but nobody has mentioned it. The Atlantis
Fritillary, /Speyeria atlantis/ (W. H. Edwards), occurs south to
eastern West Virginia and western Virginia
<http://www.nearctica.com/butter/plate14/Satlantis.htm>, while
the Diana (Fritillary), /S. diana/, occurs north to that
region
<http://entweb.clemson.edu/museum/webonly/local/lbfly/lbfly9.htm>.
This fits with "He never tired of illustrating by means of
these examples the extraordinary blend of Canadian Zone and
Austral Zone that 'obtained,' as he put it, in that particular
spot of Appalachia where at our altitude of about 1,500 feet
northern species of birds, insects and plants commingled with
southern representatives. As most literary celebrities, Shade
did not seem to realize that a humble admirer who has cornered
at last and has at last to himself the inaccessible man of
genius, is considerably more interested in discussing with him
literature and life than in being told that the 'diana'
(presumably a flower) occurs in New Wye together with the
'atlantis' (presumably another flower), and things of that sort."
(Note to line 238.)
So this is yet more evidence that New Wye is in or near
western Virginia.
Jerry Friedman lives at the southern end of the Atlantis
Fritillary's western range.
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm