THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
Vou. XIII. JANUARY, 1880. [No. 200. 
NOTES ON THE RHOPALOCERA OF NATAL. 
By A. J. SPmtumr. 
Narat, the “ Garden of South Africa,” is far more abundantly 
supplied with butterflies than any other part of British South 
Africa. Many species, such as Junonia Natalica, Salamis Anacardit, 
Acrea Petrea, Eronia Leda, Papilio Policenes, &e., are found in 
abundance along the coast district, and occur nowhere else south 
of the tropic of Capricorn. The climate in the lowlands adjoining 
the sea is quite tropical, and butterflies are to be found every fine 
day throughout the year; in fact, even in the depth of our “‘ winter” 
more species are to be obtained than in the middle of summer at 
home. ‘Trimen, in his work on the Rhopalocera of South Africa, 
enumerates 222 species as inhabitants of the country south of 
the tropic of Capricorn; but the list is evidently incomplete, since 
I have taken several new species myself.* In Natal I believe 
at least 200 kinds occur, many of them very beautiful, although, 
of course, their splendour cannot equal the beauty of the 
magnificent denizens of the Amazon. 
The best months for butterflies are March and April, and then 
the country is all alive with insect beauty. Several species 
remind one forcibly of England. Thus Papilio Demoleus bears a 
superficial resemblance to P. Machaon; Pieris Agathina to 
Pieris brassice ; P. Pigea to P. rape; P. Hellica to P. Daplidice 
and the American P. Protodice; Colias electra to C. edusa. 
Several of the Acreas, on the wing, closely resemble the smaller 
Fritillaries, such as Argynnis Huphrosyne and Melitea Artemis ; 
and amongst the Skippers, Pyrgus Vindex, Pamphila Pontieri, and 
P. Havei, correspond respectively to P. Alveolus, Hesperia Comma, 
and H. Linea. Three European species occur plentifully, viz., 
Danaus Chrysippus, Lycanea Betica, and Pyrameis Cardut. 
* A great number of additional species haye been recorded by Trimen and others 
since the publication of his work.—Eb. 
B 
