SlMULIS^r OF I'APlLtO MEROt'E. 2o5 



The wings of the male jnerope are of a creamy white on 

 the upper surfaces, with black markings which are of 

 somewhat different patterns in the several varieties of 

 the butterfly, and all possess the characteristic " tailed " 

 extension of the hind wing found in the PapilioniiKZ. The 

 undersides of the wings are also of a creamy white colour 

 with various brown markings and lines of different shades. 

 When the insect is at rest the wings are folded over the 

 back, the under sides only are exposed, the darker shaded 

 hind wing being only seen, and the insect presents a very 

 close appearance to a broad leaved grass, to the faded ends 

 of which the butterfly habitually hangs suspended with the 

 wings hanging downwards. (Fig. lo) 



The numerous female varieties of P. inerope (Fig. ii) 

 are very diverse in different localities, and have deviated 

 not only from the shape, size and colours of the males to 

 which they bear no resemblance whatever, but from each 

 other ; and have acquired in the respective regions in 

 which they are found the appearances of various species 

 of the inedible Daiiaince. (Fig. 12.) 



In the Cape the female of P. inerope is similar to the 

 type form of the Danaid, Aniauris ecJieria, with black wings, 

 all of which are spotted with yellow and marked with a 

 large yellow patch on the centre of each hind wing. In 

 Natal the female nierope var cenea is like a local form of 

 A. ecJieria var. albimaculata, which differs from the Cape 

 type, the spots on the fore wings being white instead of 

 yellow. In East Africa the female merope again varies in 

 tipiUus and assumes the type form of Aniaiiris niavttis, 

 which is a black butterfly marked with large pearly patches 

 on both fore and hind wings. There is also found in Natal 

 another variety, Jiippocoon, which simulates the southern 

 form of ^. niavius, vi?.., doininicamis, on the wings of which 

 the pearly patches are much larger than on those of 

 inavius. In the Cape again there is still another even 



