riKKIN.E. i8i 



upper side, and in a yellower tint on the under side of tlie hind- 

 wings. The former character is, however, variable, and its reduced 

 condition is not very marked except in two examples, taken at Etshowe 

 in Zululand by Mr. A. M. Goodrich, which present a much narrowed 

 apical patch, continued hind-marginally below lower radial nervule 

 only by a small separate spot on third median nervule. One Zulu- 

 land $ has the border very nearly as well developed as in West-African 

 specimens. 



An aberration of the $, captured by Colonel Bowker iti Kaflraria 

 Proper, has all the dark markings very faintly shown, the basal red of 

 the fore-wings almost obsolete on the upper side, and replaced on the 

 under side by ochreous-orange, the hind-wings on both surfaces yellow- 

 ochreous, and the under-side blotches rather indistinci.^ 



I have not seen an ascertained ^ of the typical Argia from West 

 Africa, nor have I found any published description purporting to be 

 one of that sex," but I have examined twelve South-African examples. 

 Of seven now before me, three have the hind- wings white on the upper 

 side. The rich red and yellow colours borne by the ^ are in singular 

 contrast to the plain tints of the $, and there can be little doubt tliat 

 they simulate those of the abundant and slow-flying Mylothris Agathina, 

 (Cram.), a species which (as stated above, p. 45) appears to be also 

 the object of direct mimicry by both sexes of Picris Thgsa, Hopff. 



This fine Eronia seems to be more prevalent in Zululand than elsewhere 

 in South Africa, only scattered specimens having occurred in Kaifraria and 

 iSTatal. The two 5 s noticed in my former work were noted by Colonel Bowker 

 as taken near the Bashee River in February 1863; they settled on Plumbago 

 flowers. The late Colonel Tower's Zululand examples were captured in the 

 Avinter months, and the two $ s above specially noticed by Mr. A. M. Goodrich 

 in October and November 1886 respectively. 



Localities of Eronia Argia. 



I. South Africa. 



D. Kaffraria Proper. — Bashee River (/. H. Bowlcer). 



E. Natal.— D'Urban (J. H. Bowker). Phietown {H. C. Harford). 



^ In Rhopalocera Africce Australis — having at the time only this specimen and one ordi- 

 dinary ? — I mistakenly treated them as se.xes of a presumed new species, which I named 

 E. varia. Individuals of both sexes (from Zululand) did not reach me until 1S67, and I 

 then recognised the i as A rgia, Fab. 



- Mr. Butler (Proc. Zool. Soc. Loud., 1S88, p. 96) identifies the 9 with both E. Poppca, 

 (Donov.), and (yellow form) Idotea, Boisd., and remarks that the females of Argia are known 

 to be extremely variable. I inspected both these forms in the late Mr. Hewitson's collec- 

 tion. Both have the black border of the wings very mucli more developed than in the 

 Southern ? (especially in the hind-wings) on both surfaces ; the former sometimes has the 

 fore-winf ochre-yellow, while Idotea is bright lemon-yellow in both wings, simulating the 

 appearance of the West-African Pieris lanihe, Doubl. Mr. Butler {loc. cit.) states that the 

 (5 Argia from Kilima-njaro does not differ from Sierra Leone specimens ; his description of 

 the single ? from that locality agrees with the characters of the Southern ? , except that 

 the border of the wings is apparently better developed. 



