Lepidoptera in the Unpublished Field Notes of Howard George Lacey, Naturalist (1856-1929)1
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VOLUME 25, NUMBER 1 29 JOLLY, G. M. 1965. Explicit estimates from capture-recapture data with both death and immigration-stochastic model. Biometrika 52: 225~47. KELLER , E. L. JR., R. H. T. MATTONI, AND M. S. B. SEIGEl1. 1966. Preferential return of artificially displaced butterflies. Anim. Bchav. 14: 197-200. SOUTHWOOD, T. n. E. 1966. Ecological Methods. Metheuu & Co., London. TURNER, J. R. G. 1963. A quantitative study of a W elsh colony of the large heath butterfly, Coenonympha ttlllia Muller (Lepidoptera). Proc. H. Ent. Soc. Lond. 38: 101-112. LEPIDOPTERA IN THE UNPUBLISHED FIELD NOTES OF HOWARD GEORGE LACEY, NATURALIST (1856-1929)1 Roy O.~ AND C. A. KENDALL 135 Vaughan Place, San Antonio, Texas Howard George Lacey was born 15 April 1856 at Wareham, Dorset, England. His elementary education was received at Charterhousc, Hampshire; h e studied at Frankfurt, Germany and later received a B.A. degree from Cains College, Cambridge. Although educated for the min istry, he soon gave up this career for that of naturalist. At the age of 26 hc came to the United States, arriving in New York 17 June 1882, and proceeded to Kerrville, Texas where he arrived 30 June. Here he bought a ranch in the hill country about seven miles southwest of Kerrville on Turtle Creek (Figure 1) where he spent the next thilty-seven years rais ing livcstock and studying the natural history of the area. Lacey was a member of the Bournemouth Scientific Society, San An tonio Scientific Society, National Geographic Society, American Audubon Union, and American Ornithologists' Union. He collaborated with the Smithsonian Institution, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and other in stitutions for the advancement of natural science. So far as can be determined, he published no scientific papers. In stead, he chose to collect biological specimens which were sent to various contemporary taxonomists and natural history museums. Many of his field collections and observations were recorded in a ledger which is the basis for this account. His ledger is now in the Witte Memorial Museum Library, San Antonio, Texas placed there by his sister Miss Beatrice Lacey. 1 Contribution No. 198, Burcau of Entomology, Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville. 2 Research Associate, Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Division of Plant In dustry, Florida Department of Agriculture and ConslImer Services. 30 JOURNAL OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY Fig. 1. A, Kerr and surrounding Texas counties; B, location of Howard C. Lacey's ranch in relation to Kerrville, Texas. VOLUME 25, NUMBER 1 31 Some of the botanical and biological specimens named in his honor are: Quercus laceyi Small, Strymon laceyi Barnes & McDunnough, Grap tolitha laceyi Barnes & McDunnough, Logoa laceyi Barnes & McDun nough, Peromyscus boylei laceyi Attwater, and Reithrodontomys laceyi Attwater. Only the last two were mentioned in his field notes. Laccy's primary interests were birds and mammals of which he made numerous records. Later he became interested in Lepidoptera. The first and last recorded notes pertaining to Lepidoptera were 28 October 1882 and 23 April 1919 respectively. On 10 April 1898 he wrote: "Saw indigo bird and caught a few butterflies for Dr. Barnes. Ilntend to study the buttcrflies of the neighborhood from this date." His collecting was not limited to butterflics. Many moths wcre col lected, apparently at lantern light. Although most of the specimens were sent to taxonomists and institutions, he also accumulated a personal col lection. On 16 May 1902 he wrote: "\'\1. C. Dodge came over from Kerr ville to see the butterflies." Preparatory to moving back to England (8 Aug. 1919), Lacey left his local Lepidoptera collection with C. Stanley Coppock, an intimate friend, who had also come from England and scttled at Kerrville a few years after Lacey. In 1925, Mrs. Ellen S. Quillin, then director of Witte Memorial Museum, attempted to obtain the collection for the Museum. Still later, his field notes were acquired. Excerpts from correspondence between Mrs. Quillin and Miss Beatrice Lacey, sister of Howard, disclose what happened. On 2.5 March 1934 Miss Lacey wrote: "I have been thinking things over since my last letter to :\1r. Coppock. ... I feel Howard would like me to give his notes and diary to the Witte Memorial MUSEum if you say they will be of use, and will be taken care of. It hurts to part with them, but I would rather feel they are of use when I have passed over and Howard would like them to be of use I feel sure. I ask you to accept them in his name and mine with all good wishes." Mrs. Quillin's reply of 11 April 1934 stated in part: "I received your letter this morning in which you are transferring to us as a gift the life time notes of your brother. I certainly believe you are doing the right thing and that Mr. Lacey would approve were he here, because when Mr. Lacey visited this Museum, at that time only two school rooms thrown together to make a Museum, the last time he was in Texas [192.5] and the Attwater collection had just been added, he expressed his regret that the butterfly and moth collection he had made could not go with the Attwatcr collection. It seems that when he left his collection with one 32 JOURNAL OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY of the Coppock children [1919J bugs got into some of it and other specimens were sold off. He said that the selling was with his consent inasmuch as he had then given up Texas ever getting a Museum in which to place them. That summer [1925J after he left I tried to locate the collection and found that it was held for sale. Mr. Lacey had given me only his verbal wish and I, therefore, could not push the matter. "We have had made a typewritten copy [300 pages] of Mr. Lacey's notes which I bound last week so that scientists of note might use them for reference without in any way fingering or tearing the originals. The original books will be taken to be bound this afternoon and from then on will be placed under lock and key in my own office." Lacey's field notes are a veritable data bank on the local flora and fauna. Most of his collecting was done at or near his ranch. Each time he ventured far from the ranch an entry was made in his field notes. For those museUlns having specimens collected by Lacey with dates, but without locations, the following may be of help. Dates are inclusive. 28 February-27 October 1888, trip to England and return. 8 May 1893-10 April 1894, trip to England and return. 3-23 November 1896, hunting trip on Nueces River and Frio Divide. [Apparently Uvalde County Texas.] 15-26 July 1898, fishing trip to Paint Creek. [This creek empties into thc South Llano River. Most of it lies in northeast Edwards County Texas.] 25-26 June 1899, to San Antonio [Bexar County Texas]. 27-[28] June 1899, went to the Medina [River] and back the next day. [Apparently in Bandera County Texas.] 26 July-5 August 1899, went to the Llano [River] fishing and had a very jolly trip. I got no new butterflies but took several very dark speci mens of T. damon [Callophrys gryneus castalis.] [Apparently Kimble County Texas]. 15 November-14 December 1899, our usual hunt on the Frio [River] . [Uvalde County Texas.] 7-19 July 1900, fishing on Llano River. As there were no flowers out I got only a few [butter] flies. On July 17th when we started home the South Llano was up about five feet. [Probably Kimble County Texas.] 25-30 July 1901, got back to town after a short trip to the Llano [River] with Carr and company. We camped a few miles above London. Elada [Texola elada] was about the only butterfly about. [London is in north east Kimble County Texas.] VOLUME 25, NUMBER 1 33 27 August 1901-29 March 1902, trip to England and return. Got back to the ranch little before sundown. 1.3-27 July 1902, fishing trip to Llano [River] camped near head of South Llano River. [Edwards County Texas.] 10-31 July 1904, fishing on Llano River. Few [butter] flies as bloom was very scarce. [Probably Kimble County Texas.] 17 July-2 August 1907 (19-31 July in camp) on fishing trip to the San Diego River in Mexico via San Antonio and Del Rio, Texas. 15-31 July 1909, fishing trip to Devils River. [Val Verde County Texas.] 23 November-6 December 1916, hunting trip to Paint Creek [Ed wards County Texas]. 16 July 1919, sold my ranch and stock. After selling the ranch, I put in a day or two loafing around Kerrville and then spent a week on Paint Creek swimming near the spring. Eagles, I think, used the nest on the bluff above thc springs and the herons seem to have increased in num bers; ninc nests in the big tree. [Apparently this was one of Lacey's fa vorite spots.] 8 August 1919 he left Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas for his native home in England. Still fascinated by the wonderful Hill Country of the Ed wards Plateau and drawn by the devoted fellowship of old friends, he returned to Kerrville in summer of 192.5 for a short but last visit, health failing. He died 5 March 1929 at the home of his sister, Yliss Beatrice Lacey, 50 Wellington Road, Bournemouth, England. In the following list of Lepidoptera mentioned in Lacey's field notes, arrangement generally follows dos Pass os (1964) for the skippers and butterflies, and McDunnough (1938) for the moths.