IIESPERID.E. 267 



a large subquadrate sput at end of cell, with a smaller spot just below 

 it; a subraargiual row of seven or eight spots, of whicli the first, 

 fourth, and fifth arc the largest, and the last three ill-defined. Cilia 

 of the ground-colour, but in hind-wing yellow near and at anal angle. 

 Under side. — Paler, more gloss;/. Fore-iving : spots larger, paler ; 

 basal irroration forming a distinct streak on costa, and another in 

 cell (the latter coniluent with cellular spot). Ilind-iuing : unicolo- 

 rous, excepting only a small yellow spot on costa near base. Cilia as 

 above. 



$ Brown, without purplish tinge ; spots jMler, larger. Fore-wing : 

 spots in and above cell forming one marking ; more irroration in cell. 

 Hind-wing : the small spots of submarginal row very small, some or 

 all of them occasionally wanting (in one example, the first spot is very 

 small, and the only two others, the fourth and fifth, are scarcely visible 

 as dots). Cilia yellow thronghout in hind-wing, and at anal angle of 

 fore-wing. Under side. — Hind-wing and apex of fore-wing marked. 

 %oith ferruginous-ochrcous, ivhich in the foi'mer hroadly indieates the 

 position of the sp)ots of up2)er side Fore-iving : no cellular streak from 

 base; cellular spot often confluent with third spot of transverse row. 



Head and body of ground-colour interndngled with golden-yellow. 

 Antenna half-ringed (inwardly) with alternate dark-brown and golden- 

 yellow, and tipped with the latter ; palpi with mixed hairs of the 

 same two colours. Abdomen superiorly rather inconspicuously half- 

 ringed with the two colours and with a terminal tuft of golden yellow. 

 In ^ the yellow is throughout paler and duller. 



A ^ taken at Etshowe in Znluland by Mr. T. Vachell, of the 

 27 th (Inniskillen) Eeginient, has on the upper side the spots of the 

 fore-wings unusually small, and the lowest spot of the discal row 

 wanting; the under side is normal. 



The very deep rich colouring of this well-known species — the 

 golden-yellow spots being very conspicuous on the dark purple-brown 

 ground — at once separates Metis from its congeners ; and in the $ the 

 very dark unmarked under side of the hind-wings is a characteristic 

 feature. It seems to present no variation over its extensive South- 

 African range. 



At Cape Town this species is common, especially about hedgerows and 

 in gardens, where it is fond of settling on leaves in sheltered situations. 

 Though it often when settled keeps the wings fully expanded, I have noticed 

 that it sometimes holds them all vertically erect, the wings of the right and 

 left sides not toucliing, but standing paraUel quite apart. On the wing it is 

 active, but with a somewhat fluttering motion. It occurs throughout the year, 

 but is rare during the winter months. In the Botanic Gardens at Cape Town 

 this butterfly is one of the most frequent victims of the climbing South- 

 American Asclepiad, Physiantlius alhens, which nips with a vice-like tenacity 

 the proboscis of any insect attempting to rifle its nectaries, Metis with its Ion" 

 trunk thus sharing the fate of several ISToctuaj and Sphinges, and bein" held 

 prisoner till it dies. 



