Small Golden Black-Spotted Meadow Butterfly

A sunnier morning, but still breezy. I found a nice fresh Small Copper on my heathland walk (just as two Spitfires flew over on their way to nearby Ditchling where Dame Vera Lynn's funeral procession was starting). 

Petiver named this  the Small Golden Black-Spotted Meadow butterfly back in 1699.  Accurate but inelegant. Then, very confusingly, in 1717 called it the Small Tortoise-shell. Our old friend Moses Harris came up with Copper in 1766 but Small Copper did not appear until 1795 (Lewin). Other names for this beautiful butterfly have included Small Golden Black-spotted butterfly (1769), Common Copper (1803) and Common Small Copper (1853).