204 SOUTH-AFRICAX BUTTERFLIES. 



on reference to Kew, by Mr. J. Medley "Wood, Curator of the Botanic 

 Gardens, D' Urban.) 



Pupa, — Flattened dorso-abdomiually ; thoracic dorsal projection 

 much prolonged, pointing forward and upward, and extending as far 

 forward as, or even a little farther than, the head ; cephalic promi- 

 nences short, acute, widely apart ; lateral margin with two small acute 

 projections, one behind the other; a little beyond these, abdominal 

 margin considerably expanded laterally (almost foliated). 



Bright pale-green ; roughened lateral edge of dorsal projection down 

 to lateral abdominal expansion, median frontal line of that projection, 

 and cephalic and thoracic lateral margin, all creamy-ferrughious, 

 which tint forms an irregular lateral patch where edges of base of 

 dorsal projection and those of thorax meet ; two spots of the same 

 colour on back of abdomen (third segment) ; spiracles superior, fuscous. 



Plate II. fig. 4. 



I obtained tw^elve PoUccncs (six of each sex) from j^uppe sent by 

 Colonel Bowker from D'Urban, Natal. Tliey reached Cape Town on 

 30th November 1878, and the butterflies emerged during the succeed- 

 ing fortnight, with the exception of one $, which did not make its 

 appearance until 12th February 1879. Seven of these had the date 

 of their becoming pupre attached, and I was thus able to record that 

 (with the exception just noted) the chrysalis state lasted from seven to 

 fifteen days. All these puppe were suspended to leaves, in a position 

 near the mid-rib. ^ 



I have not seen P. Nyasscv, Butler {Ann. and Mag. JVat. Hist., i8yy, 

 p. 459), from Lake Nyassa, but it is described as intermediate between 

 Policenes and Anfheus, and, from the particulars given by the describer, 

 appears to be nearer to the latter than to the former. 



I was unfortunate as regards meeting with this Pajnlio during my sum- 

 mer stay in Katal. I had previously observed a specimen flying rapidly near 

 D'Urban on the 4th August 1865, and looked forward to obtaining many other 

 examples in 1867, hut only once (on 20th February) came across a solitary 

 individual, which evaded my attempts to capture it. This example looked very 

 green on the wing ; it flew swiftly, but settled twice on damp sand. Mr. W. 

 D. Goocli (Entomologist, 1880, p. 230) notes that the butterfly is common, 

 especially in November and December, and " can be taken freely, sipping the 

 moisture from damp mud on the margins of rain-pools in the sandy paths near 

 bush, all along the coast." Most of the specimens received from Colonel Bowker 

 were taken in the months mentioned, but he sent one pair in copula on 5th 

 April 1879. The latter are unusually small, the ^ expanding only 2 in. 7 

 lin. and the $ 3 in. 2 lin, 



^ Tlie figures purporting to be those of the larva and pupa of PoUccncs which are given 

 by W. W. Saunders (from R. W. Plant's drawings of Natal specimens) in 'Trans. Ent. Soc. 

 Land., 2nd Series, iv. pi. 13, ff. a, b, c, 1 857, vinqnestionably illustrate the earlier stages 

 of another PapUio — either P. Demolcus or a near ally. 



