STRANGE CASE OF MISSING BUTTERFLIES

Chronicle (Levin), 17 February 1947, Page 8

STRANGE CASE OF MISSING BUTTERFLIES

Reeeived Sunday, 7.30 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 1(5. Deteetives recov'ered froin a house in the Honie Counties, a collection of rare butterflies vvorth thousands of pounds allegedly missing from Australian and New Zealand museums, savs the News Of The World. Scotland Yard. after months of inquin, thus believes it h.as solvod one of its strangest cases. The Melbourne Criniinal Investiga- ' i"ii Departnient learned early in 194(5 tliat entomologists had discovered that hearly 1000 very rare Australian butterflv specimens had disappeared from the Melbourne museum and also that museum authorities in other Australian and Now Zealand eities had discovered that collections of butteflies had vanisliod. Two Australian - deteetives investigated and discovered 3000 butterflies inissing. Many were •unique. The deteetives were puzzled because the colleetions were k-ept in locked cabinets and ahnost continuously under observation by liiuseum attendants. The Austi;alian police made inquiries in IJnited Ktates and eventually contacted Scotland Yard whose otflcers, a few davs ago, entered with a search warrant, a house in the ITome Counties and found n large collection of butterflies. Police vans transported the glass-topped cases to London. A detective has allegedly found that the original Australian and New Zealand collections have been broken Pp and distributed among other enses. Experts from the British Museum are now, classifving all specimens and redistributing them. Rcot land Yard is preparing a report for the Director of Pnblie Proseeutions.