108 Br. G. B. Longstaff on 



Unfortunately this specimen eluded capture. Again Dr. 

 Dixey noted : — 



August 16. Durban (The Bluff). Saw a Lycsenid 

 settled on the top of a leaf horizontally. The "false 

 head " was much more conspicuous than the real 

 head, which was almost concealed ; the real 

 antennae were quite concealed. 

 This proved to be Virachola antalus, Hopft". ; I have a 

 note referring to the same species : — 



A Lycgenid boxed off a plant close to the ground ; it 



was sitting with the head downwards, but the "false 



head " was missing, having been bitten off, probably 



by a lizard. 



Dr. Dixey was more fortunate tlian I with Axioccrccs 



limyax, Fab., since he notes : — 



Sept. 9. Bulawayo, Rhodesia (near the Waterworks). 



Tliis species was abundant at the catkin-like flowers 



of a shrub said by Mr. Davey to be a species of 



Comhrctnm. When settled, it closely resembled (at 



a little distance) the seed vessels, of which many 



remained on the plant, though the latter Avas just 



coming into flower. On a near view, the false head 



of the Lycaenid looks extremely life-like, and is moved 



about by the butterfly in a most deceptive manner. 



The species settles either horizontally or head 



downwards. Attention seems to be drawn to the 



false head by alternate partial folding and unfolding 



of the everted margin of the hind-wing, while the 



butterfly is settled. [Butterfly and seed-vessel 



exhibited.] 



Coming now to my own observations, the " false head " 



was noted during life in five specimens (all females) of 



Argiolaus silas, Westw., but in none of them was the 



attitude at rest determined, indeed the insects usually 



settled high up on the trees beyond my limit of clear 



vision, 



Sept. 10. Matopo, Rhodesia. A male of the beautiful 

 Stugela howJiCri, Trim., was twice seen to settle with its 

 head downwards on the catkin-like racemes of the shrub 

 Sderocaria caffra. The "false head" was very obvious. It 

 opened and shut its hind- wings while settled. 



Sept. 28. East London (Buffalo River). A specimen of 

 Phasis chrysaor, Trim., was seen settled head downwards. 

 Aug. 14. Durban (near Sydenham " Old Cemetery "). 



