SOME NEW BOOKS. 



A Naturalist in the Transvaal. By W. L. Distant. 8vo. Pp. xvi. and 277, 

 with thirteen plates (four coloured) and other illustrations. London: R. H. 

 Porter, 1892. Price 21s. 



In this book, Mr. Distant gives us the resuUs of his leisure during 

 twelve months spent in the Transvaal on business. South Africa is 

 a well-worked field, but Mr. Distant's observations have brought to 

 light many new and interesting facts, while his collections have 

 largely increased our knowledge of the insect-fauna of the district. 

 The new species are described in an appendix to which many 

 specialists have contributed. The only new vertebrate is a snake 

 (Glaucoma distanti, Blgr.), the greatest amount of attention having, 

 naturally, been given by Mr. Distant to the insects, in several orders 

 of which numerous forms found by him have been hitherto unknown. 

 The change which has come over the modern naturalist's view of 

 nature is emphasised in the following passage : — " I could not 

 help contrasting the different mental conceptions which dominated 

 me when collecting in the Malay Peninsula twenty-two years 

 previously, and those which now dominated my mind in a similar 

 quest at Durban. Then, almost the sole aim was the discovery of 

 new species ; now, the constant wish was to make some small dis- 

 covery to add to the ever-increasing knowledge of how animals 

 derived their present shape and coloration in the struggle for existence." 

 Accordingly, our author has given us various notes on protective 

 resemblance and mimicry. The butterfly Hamanumida dadalus has 

 been observed in West Africa to rest on the ground with closed wings 

 the under surfaces of which vary in their markings to harmonise with 

 different soils. In South Africa, however, Mr. Distant always found 

 this insect resting with expanded wings, so that the upper surface 

 was exposed, and assimilated to the colour of the greyish rocks and 

 paths. The well-known Danais chvysippus was found in abundance 

 accompanied by HypoUnmas misippits, whose female is so perfect a 

 mimic of it. The distasteful qualities and warning coloration of the 

 Danais afford it such protection that Mr. Distant enquires why it does 

 not absolutely swarm, and suggests " some inherent weakness or 

 danger which produces great mortality in the early stages." An 

 enemy of this butterfly has been discovered by Mr. Distant in one of 

 his new orthopterous insects, Hemisega prccdatoyia, which lurks among 

 the tops of tall grasses to which it bears "aggressive " resemblance, and 

 is thus enabled to seize the Danais when it settles on the flower. One 

 specimen of D. chrysippus was obtained with wings mutilated as if by 

 the bite of a bird, which was probably driven by hunger in the dry 

 season, when insects are very scarce, to attempt a meal on the 

 nauseous butterfly. 



The appearance of insects as the wet season comes on is described 

 with much interesting detail, and the contrast drawn between the 



