18 AUGUST 1950, Page 14

Late Butterflies

The experts at Rothamsted who examine all the evidence of immigrant butterflies will have some trouble to explain the phenomena of this summer. My experience seems to be quite general, that all butterflies made a very late appearance, especially the cabbage white and the tortoise. shell, though with me this last is still rare. In one garden, so I hear, a flycatcher has been attacking the butterflies in general on this late appearance, but is showing a well-marked preference for the peacocks, a most unusual proceeding.