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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 35(4), 1981, 303
BOOK REVIEW
This IS Hong KONG: Butterflies, by Gweneth and Bernard Johnston. 1980. E. W. Classey Ltd., Faringdon, Oxon, England. 224 pp., 28 color plates. Price: $28.80 postpaid.
This book is largely a pictorial treatise on butterflies, but a very good one for its genre, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It is divided into major sections dealing with such topics as the place of butterflies in the animal kingdom, the problems and strategies for survival of the various life stages, the major families of Hong Kong butterflies, rearing, and the past collecting history of the island. Sections dealing with the life stages and survival strategies are then sub-divided to treat each life stage (from egg through imago) separately. The text describing the butterfly families gives the reader a general survey of the habits and preferred habitats for the members of each family, and only mentions specific butterflies where they are especially common or outstanding in their appearence.
My only real criticism of the book is that it is too general in nature to be considered a comprehensive field guide to the island's fauna. However, the authors make a point of disclaiming the book as a great scientific work. Still, the book is of some scientific value for it deals with a geographical area that is, to the best of my knowledge, poorly addressed in previous scientific literature. There is a checklist in the appendices listing all 192 recorded Hong Kong species of butterflies accompanied by their English common names, their Chinese common names in native characters, and their larval food-plants (where known). It is no great surprise that the fauna of Hong Kong shows affinities to those of Japan and Formosa, both of which have been well-documented and well-studied. So, armed with the Johnston's checklist, the life history data on the various species from these other Asian regions, one could conceivably utilize this work as a field guide of sorts.
The prose style of the text has a decidedly British flavor, but is generally easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable. A minor criticism: the text is sprinkled with the usual anthropomorphisms so commonly resorted to by writers when dealing with such wondrous creatures as butterflies. Their references to nymphalids "in ecstacy at the taste" of flower nectar in the chapter dealing with that family should adequately illustrate my point. However, when one considers the splendor and unique habits of the authors' subject matter, it is easy to see how one is tempted to resort to such non-scientific descriptions. I must confess that I have used some of the very same descriptions myself, and, while they do not necessarily reflect scientific truth, they certainly lend impact to the text for the average reader. Along these same lines, the book's tenth chapter deals with butterflies as depicted in Chinese culture, customs, and legends. In this chapter, the authors relate several Chinese proverbs which demonstrate the reverence that ancient philosophers had for butterflies. These philosophers were as given to ascribing humanlike attributes to these beautiful creatures in their day as we continue to be in ours.
The greatest strength of this book lies in the excellent quality of its color photographs. All of the chapters are profusely illustrated in color, showing butterflies in their natural state. The selections chosen by the authors depict both the main features and the incredible diversity within each family. Many of the larvae and pupae of the island's butterflies also are figured, some for the first time in any popular work. Additionally, there are 28 color plates illustrating set specimens of 150 of the island's 192 species. The quality of these plates is also extremely good.
Overall, this book is well worth its high cost, even if only for the beautiful color photography. It will certainly occupy a prominent place in my library, as it will, I am sure, in the libraries of others who decide to purchase it. It is available through E. W. Classey's U.S. representative at P.O. Box 1062, San Marcos, California 92069.
Philip J. Kean, Secretary-Treasurer, Maryland Entomological Society, 1215 Stella Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21207.