NOTES ON THE LEPIDOPTERA OF NATAL. 3 



resembles our hazel — I soon found other larvae, and bred a good 

 series. At some periods of the year the imago is much darker 

 than at others, following the law already set down* concerning 

 some AnthocarincB. The size of this insect varies very much, 

 and to this circumstance I trace the apparent rarity of an allied 

 insect Lachnoptera Ayresii. This Avas first taken by Mr. Bertie 

 Ayres, of Pine Town, and is allied to a West African form. I 

 subsequently captured both male and female. In each case I took 

 them on the wing, and believed them to be, as I struck at them, 

 only large specimens of ^1. Phalanta. Their habits are precisely 

 similar ; I have no doubt that if Atella were carefully hunted the 

 pursuit would yield a series of Lachnoptera Ayresii. The male 

 differs from the female by having a lead-coloured patch on each 

 of the hind wings. The female has handsomer and richer colouring 

 than A. Phalanta , and the markings in black festoons are very 

 elegant. 



That most universal and at the same time beautiful 

 insect, the " painted lady," is found as freely in Natal as else- 

 where. It occurs throughout the year, and the brooding seems 

 to be continuous. The larva, which differs very slightly in its 

 markings in the male and female forms, feeds on a " common 

 weed," apparently of the Urticacece. The insect has sometimes 

 a strong roseate shot over the whole surface of its wings, not inter- 

 fering with the ordinary markings, which makes it very beautiful. 



Allied to the preceding and to our well-known English 

 " admiral " is a very handsome and somewhat rare butterfly, 

 with brilliantly coloured upper-wings, red, white, and black, and 

 with a deep subtly coloured underwing of most marvellous rich- 

 ness and intricacy of pattern. This is Pyrameis Hippomene ; 

 it is present, I believe, in two varieties, is a somewhat solitary 

 wood-haunting insect, and is difficult to meet with, but is constant 

 in its special and favourite spots ; I do not know anything of its 

 transformations. In common with many of the Nymphaliche, the 

 male and female differ in the tails on the hind wings, but not to 

 the same extent as is elsewhere observable. 



The conspicuous and at the same time interesting genus 

 Diadema is fairly represented in Natal ; the mimetic tendencies 

 of the genus are well exemplified in each insect; D. Misippus, 

 with its brilliant male and ochreous female mimicking Z)a?ia is Chry- 

 sijjpus; D. Anthedon, with its attendants, Varia, Mima and Diihia, 



