Nature Done Wright

Visited NJ Audubon's Lorrimer Sanctuary today and finally saw a Mourning Cloak butterfly that I could photograph this spring.

Do you know why they're called Mourning Cloaks?

I am told that the butterfly got its name during the American Civil War. It would appear about the time that the ground had thawed enough to bury the soldiers who had died over the winter, and it resembled the lace-fringed cloaks the funeral-goers wore.

I have no idea whether that's true, but it's plausible. Please let me know if you've heard otherwise.

P.S. Lorrimer is always worth a visit (with a great deer exclosure to boot).

Monday: A Monday Morning Butterfly Mystery.