16 AUGUST 1940, Page 14

London Butterflies London, which becomes a bird sanctuary, is not

favoured by butter- flies. Attempts to breed them in the Parks, as I witnessed many years ago, all failed owing to the activity of urban parasites. Yet visitors sometimes arrive, including, it seems, rare species. Here is a quota- tion from an entomological correspondent. " I send you what I think must be an unusual instance of a woodland butterfly venturing into

long enough to leave no doubt of its identity. But a silver-washed Albemarle the heart of London. On August znd I was walking up Street from Piccadilly at about I.3o when I was surprised and delighted to see a male silver-washed fritillary flying to and fro in the sunlight. It might almost have been on a shopping expedition and I watched it