Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0006846, Fri, 27 Sep 2002 10:33:26 -0700

Subject
Miriam Rothschild's Butterfly Book. Red AdmiRALS
Date
Body
EDITOR's NOTE. About a month ago Carolyn Kunin called attention to a book by
Mitiam Rothschild. I succeeded in getting a copy of the volume. It is a very
handsome thing filled with lepidoptery-literary-art lore and splendid
illustrations. There are many Nabokov references.

Among the many tidbits (one not specifically relate to VN) is the odd fact
that the Red Admiral is a symbol of death or damnation in paintings (whereas
white butterflies = virtue, resurrection, & immortality). This is
attributed to an unnamed professor of Art History. (p.37). The appearance of
PALE FIRE'S Red Admiral at the time of Shade's death suggests the not very
surprising (and probably already noted) surmise that VN knew of this.

Dr. Miriam Rothschild (pictured), DSc, C.B.E., F.R.S., niece of the 2nd Lord
Rothschild, daughter of Charles, called the father of Nature Conservation
and senior partner in N.M. Rothschild & Sons. She is regarded and respected
worldwide as an authority under several biological and conservation headings
on butterflies and their habitat. She is creator of "Wildflower Meadow" -
over 90 acres designed to reintroduce native butterfly species in England.
She is the author of over 250 scientific papers, several books, including
"The Butterfly Gardner" and "Dear Lord Rothschild; Birds, Butterflies and
History." A sketch of her formidable scientific works is available at:
http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/essays/v7p120y1984.pdf
Her uncle Walter Rothschild is famed for his morphological descriptions of
butterflies. His collection conatoned two & a hald million lepts.


---------------------------------------------------(p.
>Carolyn Kunin" <chaiselongue@earthlink.net>