NOTES ON THE LEPIDOPTERA OF NATAL. 5 



for being conspicuous, they are tempting ; being just out of reach, 

 they are exasperating ; and being very beautiful and large, they 

 are gratifying when caught. 



The larva of this conspicuous insect is, so far, unknown, but 

 from its large size it ought not to remain so long. Judging from 

 J. Natalica and (Enone, it should be spined and horned, and of a 

 sombre colour, probably not unlike one of the spined Saturnia 

 larvae. I never, by watching the imago, got any clue to the food- 

 plant. 



The other species of this genus, Junonia, may be subdivided 

 into several groups. 



The first group is composed of open country varieties, and as 

 developed in Natal, presents such remarkable intermediate forms 

 between several of its members — e.g., between Amestris and 

 Octavia, Archesia and Pelasgis, Archesia and Natalica — that it 

 will be a very pretty problem for the field naturalist to solve their 

 relations, and one which the cabinet entomologist finds himself 

 quite at a loss to deal with. As the perfect insects are all 

 abundant, the larvse should not be difficult to obtain and rear ; 

 that of J. Amestris has already been reared by Lieut. H. C. 

 Harford, but no notes on variation were made. 



The next group includes J. Q^nonc, a grass butterfly, J. 

 Clelia, and J. Orithya, which almost appears to be a suff'used 

 variety of Clelia. The latter insect lives among low scrub and 

 bushes on the coast lands onl}^ whilst the two former are found 

 also on the high grass-lands away from the coast. The trans- 

 formations of both (Enone and Clelia are known ; I reared 

 several of Clelia, and found distinct sexual variation in the cater- 

 pillar markings, but to a very modified extent, consisting in the 

 presence of a grey lateral thin line or stripe, below the insertion 

 of the lateral spines . 



J. Ceryne is a very variable butterfly ; in its form it much 

 resembles J. Anacardil, but it is a low flyer, flitting on low bushes 

 or dusty roads. Its variations of colour, I think, are generally 

 traceable to darker or ochreous sufl'usion obliterating the 

 ordinary markings. It is common in the winter on the 

 coast. 



J. Cloantha, a bright butterfly with black festoons and 

 markings, which have a blue shot in certain lights, presenting a 

 very handsome contrast to the ground colour of red ochreous, is 



