some Rest-attitudes of Butterjlics. 103 



Precis natalica, Feld., a somewhat dingy species, though 

 generally distributed, was much less common than the two 

 preceding. It is somewhat of a shade-lover and usually 

 settled on the ground or on a leaf, its wings more spread 

 than clclia or crehrene. Except when settled in the shade 

 its tail was directed towards the sun. One was seen to 

 close and open its wings, another was watched for some 

 time and observed over and over again to orient itself 

 correctly, and twice to close its wings so as to leave 

 practically no shadow. 



Precis elgiva, Hew., is not uncommon in woods near 

 Durban, it was noted as sitting with wings fully expanded 

 and tail to the sun. 



Precis sesamus, Trim., is a large, dark, handsome butter- 

 fly which reminds one of Vanessa io, L. It is fond of 

 hiding itself in ditches and under dark banks, often 

 several together ; this is not always done with a view to 

 seek shelter from the wind, though on some occasions that 

 seemed to be the object. It pitches with the Avings fully 

 expanded and close to the ground, just as P. natalica ; in 

 this position it is less conspicuous than might be supposed, 

 esj^ecially when it settles on dark clay, or peaty soil, as it 

 appeared to be fond of doing. Both Dr. Dixey and I saw 

 it orient itself like its congeners, sometimes with adjust- 

 ment. On one occasion only did I see it close its wings 

 over its back, casting, as a result, a minimum shadow. 



Another Precis, nearly the colour of the red soil, but 

 more orange in tint, was observed to orient with tail to the 

 sun. This I saw several times but missed ; it was on 

 August 18th, on somewhat open ground at the edge of a 

 large banana garden above the Congella woods, Durban. 

 I thought at the time that this was P. octavia, Cram., the 

 wet-season form of P. sesamus, but it is just possible that 

 it may have been P. cloantha, Cram., which I took on the 

 other side of Durban. With the possible exception of this 

 doubtful Precis all my remarks about South African 

 butterflies apply to dry-season forms. 



Hamanumidct d/edcdus, Fab., is a common African 

 Nymphalid that we only met with on the banks of the 

 Zambesi. We both noted that it usually flies near the 

 ground, on which it settles with the wings closely adpressed 

 to the surface. It occasionally flaps its wings, but as long 

 as they are still it is very inconspicuous, its grey colour 

 approximating closely to that of the sand, the whitish spots 



