Mastermind on Monday 11th Feb, BBC2, 1930

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks to Paul Boswell for posting this on the UK-Leps forum ...

One of the specialist subjects is "British Butterflies". See http://www.tvguide.co.uk/detail.asp?id=12324371

Cheers,

- Pete

[Roger Gibbons]

Thanks for the info.

I have a vague recollection that there was a million-pound question on "who wants to be a millionaire" along the lines of "which of these is not a moth" with speckled wood being one of the options. I might even have got that one.

[Pete Eeles]

Do you think sending hom a butterfly book would cheer him up, or wind him up?

http://www.printweek.com/news/426960/Ga ... s-TV-show/

Cheers,

- Pete

[Rogerdodge]

Ok
It is on in 1 hour.
Let's publish our scores afterwards?
No cheating now - you are only cheating yourselves!!
Roger

[Rogerdodge]

Hold on a minute!
It clashes with Corrie.......................

[Martin]

I got 7

[Pete Eeles]

16/17 here

But boy - I doubt I would have gotten half of that number under pressure in "the chair"

I got the Northern Brown Argus question wrong because the question started with "The northern England subspecies of the Mountain, or Northern Brown Argus ...". My mind wandered trying to figure out what on earth the "Mountain Brown Argus" was - never ever heard of it referred to as this

Cheers,

- Pete

[Rogerdodge]

I got 16.
The only one I got wrong was Grayling, which the missus got right, and is now running around the house shouting "Grayling, Grayling, Grayling!!"
How did you do?
Roger

[roundwood123]

I got 8, not bad for a new boy....

[Danny]

Does anybody have a list of the questions? I missed it and would like to have a go!!

Danny

[Paul]

I was put straight off by the swallowtail question.. what was it..fens, broads, Norfolk..... thought they were mean not to give her the point!.. also I interuppted the white admiral question & got it wrong!!

[Padfield]

Does anybody have a list of the questions? I missed it and would like to have a go!!

Danny

If you're in the UK, Danny, go here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search/?q= ... Programmes

Guy

(17/17 , but I thought some of the questions were a bit daft)

[Charles Nicol]

i scored, well, um, fewer than padfield

i was impressed by the man who chose a tv show as his special subject... sheer genius !! i would select maybe episode 5 of inspector morse....

charles

[Padfield]

The questions were posted on UK Leps by James Rippey. I hope he won't mind if I repost them here (but without the answers and commentary James kindly provided!!).

1. Britain's largest native species of butterfly is the Swallowtail. Its habitat is restricted to which area of wetland?

2. The Painted Lady is one of 2 members of the genus Vanessa that are regular migrants to Britain. What is the other?

3. Which butterfly, restricted to the south coast of Dorset, takes its name from the village where it was found in 1832?

4. The Northern England sub-species of the Mountain or Northern Brown Argus has a dark brown or black spot on the upper forewing. What is the usual colour of this spot in the Scottish sub-species?

5. Which species resembles a tattered Tortoiseshell butterfly because of the irregular edges of its wings.

6. Which spectacular butterfly supplements its principal diet of honeydew from aphids with nutrients obtained from animal dung and rotting carcases?

7. The British sub-species of the Swallowtail lays its eggs on which tall flowering plant?

8. Which butterfly whose appearance is similar to the Small Skipper was only recognised as a separate species in 1889?

9. What is the name of Britain's only true mountain species? It's confined to the higher slopes of the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands.

10. The nectar from the flower of which bush is a particularly favourite food of the adult White Admiral?

11. The male of which butterfly is often mistaken for a Common Blue while the female is mistaken for a Chalkhill Blue?

12. What's the name for the only member of the genus Inachis? It has evolved distinctive markings on its wings to confuse predators.

13. Which butterfly is found in Southern England, the Southern Lake District and North Yorkshire and is the only European representative of the tropical family Riodinidae?

14. Which plant is the most widely available and commonly eaten food for the larvae of butterflies such as the Red Admiral, the Peacock and the Comma?

15. The sub-species of which dull-coloured butterfly is found on Great Orme's Head in North Wales?

16. Which of the Skippers became extinct in England in 1976 although it is still found in Scotland, in the area around Fort William?

17. The Holly Blue is unique amongst British butterflies because the larvae of its 2 broods feed on different plants. Those of the spring brood feed on Holly. What do the larvae of the summer brood feed on?

Guy

[Chris]

I got a staggering (staggeringly more than I expected) 15/17! I've always watched Mastermind and thought the specialist questions were nigh impossible and have been really impressed with contestants that have done well... but having heard questions about a subject I'm interested in, I wonder if all the questions are actually quite easy?? Still... I never manage more than half a dozen of the general knowledge ones!

[Martin]

I got seven on the night, but reading them I think I know 14. Just shows what pressure the contestants must be under whilst in the black chair>

Martin.

[m_galathea]

Thanks for posting that! I got 14 --the only one I genuinely didn't know (but do now!) was the foodplant of the Swallowtail. Must be really hard in the chair_
AH

[Dave McCormick]

ok 12/17 not too bad, but I thought I would do better, oh well.