Archive Article: 2000/04/14
THERE has been a resurgence of interest in butterflies in the past few years following top TV documentaries and glossy books covering the subject. Even gardening magazines are keen to promote these charismatic insects and how we can attract them into our gardens. However, until now there had been nothing for the PC, so it was good news for me when I discovered a new CD-ROMdisk*
It never ceases to amaze me the amount of data that CD publishers can squeeze on to a disk. For a start, there are 300 video clips of all 60 British species, plus habitat clips.
A text database by Ann and Richard Williamson details the life-cycle of each species; where it lives, where it lays its eggs, what its caterpillars feed on and where and when you are likely to see it. To augment this are distribution maps. Or if you prefer, just sit back, click, and listen to Richards spoken commentary and view the 500 superb illustrations not only of the butterflies, but their eggs, caterpillars and chrysalis by Richard Lewington.
* The CD-ROM Guide to British Butterflies is published by BirdGuides at £75 plus £2 p&p (Tel: 0800-919391).
Michael Edwards