Lady Glanville's Fritillary

Its not often that I get to see a new species of butterfly but today was the day. I headed off to the North Downs in search of the Glanville Fritillary at its only site on mainland Britain. I found my first one within ten minutes of arriving on site. What a stunning butterfly it is. I didn't see another one for over an hour and then saw seven in about twenty minutes. Originally called the Lincolnshire Fritillary it was later renamed as the Glanville fritillary in honour of Eleanor Glanville. It is the only butterfly named after a woman. Eleanor Glanville studied this fritillary in the late 17th century. When she died her will was contested on the grounds of lunacy - no one in their right mind would chase after butterflies. The appeal was upheld! Leading members of the Aurelian Society spoke in support of Eleanor Glanville but to no avail. Having lost the case they continued to show their support by re-naming the butterfly in her memory.