XN000022-1980-06-04 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1980

NEW BOOK ON BUTTERFLIES CULMINATES FIVE-YEAR STUDY

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THE BEAUTY AND VARIETY OF HONG KONG'S MANY BUTTERFLIES ARE CAPTURED IN FULL COLOUR IN A NEW BOOK NOW ON SALE.

FOR THE AUTHORS GWENETH AND BERNARD JOHNSTON THE BOOK IS THE CULMINATION OF A FIVE-YEAR STUDY DURING WHICH THEY SUCCESSFULLY REARED A LARGE NUMBER OF BUTTERFLIES, INCLUDING THE LESS COMMON VARIETIES, TO GATHER FIRST-HAND INFORMATION.

THEIR EFFORTS HAVE RESULTED IN THE PUBLICATION OF THE FIRST MAJOR WORK OF REFERENCE ON HONG KONG BUTTERFLIES AND THEIR LIFE CYCLE.

PUBLISHED UNDER THE TITLE, THIS IS HONG KONG: BUTTERFLIES+ THE BOOK HAS BEEN PRODUCED BY THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES AND PRINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER.

IT IS ON SALE AT $95 AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE LEADING BOOKSHOPS, CITY DISTRICT OFFICES AND DISTRICT OFFICES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE BOOK CONTAINS MORE THAN 260 PICTURES IN FULL COLOUR PLUS 28 PLATES WITH TRANSPARENT OVERLAYS TO HELP IDENTIFY LOCAL SPECIES.

DETAILED APPENDICES INCLUDE THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE LISTS OF HONG KONG BUTTERFLIES AND FOOD PLANTS WITH CHINESE, ENGLISH AND LATIN NAMES.

+WE CONSIDER THIS BOOK WILL BE OF GREAT INTEREST TO BOTH NATURALISTS AND THE NON-EXPERT WHO WANTS TO DISCOVER MORE ABOUT HIS OWN ENVIRONMENT, COMMENTED A SPOKESMAN FOR THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES.

+THERE IS A DEMAND FOR BOOKS WHICH PUT ON RECORD SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT FEATURES OF HONG KONG AND WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO FULFIL THIS BY PRODUCING PUBLICATIONS ON TOPICS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST.

THIS IS WHY WE INTRODUCED OUR "THIS IS HONG KONG' SERIES TO WHICH THE NEW BOOK ON BUTTERFLIES IS A WELCOME ADDITION.+

IN AN INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER TO THE BOOK THE AUTHORS EXPRESS THE HOPE THAT IT WILL CREATE A WIDER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF NATURE'S EFFORTS TO STOCK AND BEAUTIFY OUR COUNTRYSIDE.

THEY ALSO HOPE IT WILL +BRING ABOUT A GREATER AWARENESS OF HOW WE, THE HUMAN RACE, WHILE PURSUING THE NEED FOR BETTER LIVING CONDITIONS AND GREATER INDUSTRIAL EFFORT, CAN SOMEHOW HELP TO CONSERVE THE BEST FEATURES OF THE ENVIRONMENT WHICH SURROUNDS US.+

ONCE GONE, THEY NOTE, THIS QUALITY OF OUR DAILY LIFE CAN ONLY BE RESTORED WITH DIFFICULTY, AND EVEN THEN TO DO SO CAN ONLY BE PROBLEMATICAL.

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