The Oihmatii or Draijonflifs of South Africa. 403 



pruinose blue in male, oohrcoiis with three longitudinal black lines in 

 female. J , Abd. 13, htia: 10, pt. 2 mm. to 16, 19, 2-5. ? , 13, 18, 2-5. 



P.JiicnnJa. 

 Larger species. Legs black, first femora yellowish intei'nally. Infrac- 

 tion in costal vein not so deep as in other species. Males with a radiate 

 pattern of deep black ; in front wing stripe in sc to Gth-8th Anq, stripe 

 in space between ilf, 3 and M^ to distal end of i, large spot of about 

 four cells at nodus ; in hind wing only a small sub costal stripe to Anq 2 ; 

 costal space of front wings yellowish to tip, this colour deeper in post- 

 nodal part. Females with similar pattern of black, but reduced in all 

 its components. Dorsum of abdomen ijruinose blue in male, olivaceous, 

 with three longitudinal black lines in females. J, Abd. 19, hdw. 26, pt. 

 3 mm. ? , 19, 27, 4 P. decepior. 



Palpopleura LUCIA (Drui'v, 1773). 



S. Afr. Mus. : 5 cJ, 2 $ , Lorenco Marques (7, 20 . v, 26 . ix, 3.x, 



I . vii . 1911) ; 2 cJ, 3 9 ,M'Foiigosi, Zuluhiud (ii, iii, iv .1911, W. E. 

 Jones). Coll. Ris: 11 (J, 9 ? , Loreuco Marques (G.xi.l910; 

 17, 18. i, 10. ii, 11, 14, 24. iii, r,, 7, 11. v. 1911); 4 9 . Rikatla, 

 Delagoa Bay (iii, iv, 17. iv, 10. v. 1914, H. Junod). Cull. E. B. 

 Williamsou : 5 c? , 1 9 . Natal (G. F. Leigli) ; 2 (J , 1 9 , Princetowu, 

 Natal (7, 14 . ii . 1909, 21. ii. 1910, Id.) ; I S, woodside off Umbila 

 Eoad, Congella (20 . x .1904, id.) ; 1 9 , Hilton Eoad (23 . ii . 1909, id.). 



S portiu : S. Afr. Mus. : 9 (J, M'Fongosi, Zululand (ii, iii, iv . 1911, 

 W. E. Jones). 1 ^, Otavi, S.W. Africa (i . 1920, Lightfoot). Coll. 

 E. B. Williamsou: 11 ^J , Priucetown, Natal (12 . xii . 1908 ; 7, 18 . ii, 



II . iii . 1909 ; 24 . ii . 1910, G. F. Leigh). 



The portia forms were first introduced by the writer as male varieties ; 

 ioriwevly portia had been considered as a distinct species. The reasons 

 why this view was abandoned were chiefly given by the existence of 

 intermediate forms, which, though rather scarce in collections from 

 various parts of Africa, intergrade almost completely between extreme 

 lucia and extreme portia pattern. Nevertheless the question still 

 remains open ; it cannot be resolved in museums but only by exact 

 observations in the field. Females also intergrade between forms 

 with very little yellow at base of wings and extremes with both wings 

 deep golden yellow to distal limits of dark pattern. The deeper- 

 coloured females are apparently more often associated with lucia 

 males, the lighter ones with the portia form. But there are exceptions, 

 and a clear separation is still more difficult for females than for males. 

 Geographically it might appear that lucia is more the form of low 

 levels and very hot districts, portia of the opposite conditions, but 



