BUTTERFLY HUNTING IN NATAL. 101 



identifying the two latter insects from one another, although not 

 so much so in separating D. Echeria. The latter has a Danaidine 

 movement, every now and then, of its wings, a sort of flutter 

 which the other two did not give, but the general tone of the 

 colouring, tl)e flight, and their association, lead even an educated 

 eye astray. The congener of P. Tarquinia, P. Boisduvalii, perhaps 

 the most richly-coloured insect of our coast, is equally deceptive, 

 being closely allied superficially to Acr(Ba Zetes, var. Acara; 

 I have seen them on the wing together, and the most intense 

 watching did not enable me to distinguish them. P. Tarquinia 

 I always tell at once from A. Aganice, perhaps being more used 

 to him, as he was always to be found at " my corner." We next add, 

 on this spot, Junonia Natalica, Terias Brigitta, with the bright 

 yellow, Pieris Agathina, two or three specimens showing the 

 diiferent ranges of yellow and orange in its colouring. Atella 

 Phalanta visits its food-plant in plenty, and several deeply- 

 marked specimens (it is the wet season brood) are secured. 

 Although tempted to linger here by the ever-changing fauna, 

 having a long stretch yet before us, we leave the crown of the 

 hill and go into the unkempt fruit-garden, through which we are 

 to gain the bush path. 



The first step we make into the fallen orange leaves and fruit, 

 which cover the ground, disturbs innumerable individuals of the 

 very interesting moth, Adiaa Chameleon. They are settled on 

 the fallen and half-decayed fruit — guavas, oranges, lemons, sour- 

 sops — which litter the ground, and are avidly sucking the juices 

 that remain in it. The veteran who has not seen a similar 

 phenomenon to the same extent before, commences a raid on 

 them, and exclaims with delight at the diversity of each specimen 

 from the previous. I remind him that butterflies are our object, 

 and we must move on ; ten minutes, however, has given us to the 

 two nets thirty picked specimens, which quite serve to indicate 

 the Chameleon variet}^ of forms of this moth. Its appearance in 

 such abundance this season is very remarkakle, the more so that — 

 although the larvae must be large consi)icuous grubs, and I have 

 been collecting everywhere for the last three months — I have 

 not seen a single specimen of it, although the imago is now out 

 in myriads. 



Amongst the moths, and holding their own as they best can, 

 we capture, somewhat surfeited with their fruity repast, two 



