( xxix ) 



Mr. Byatt writes (Feb. 15th, 1903) conceruiug the species 

 — " Close round my house U. misij)2^us is in vast numbers just 

 now, but other species are not very numerous. You will 

 see that at Dedza L. chrysijopus is quite rare — at least at this 

 season. I have sent you only two, I think, and my eyes are 

 always open for it." This observation of relative abundance 

 certainly suggests the Miillerian rather than the Batesian 

 interpretation of the mimicry of the former for the latter 

 species ; although quite near to Dedza the proportions may be 

 entirely different. The following passage shows how rapidly 

 Mr. Byatt can pass from one kind of area into another. " You 

 must understand that I have two distinct climates to work in. 

 I am about 4500 to 5000 feet up — the top of Dedza is 7000 

 — and I drop straight down into what is really tropical Africa 

 on the lake level : tropical foliage, swamp, damp atmosphei'e 

 and intense heat. This station might be in S. Africa — say 

 the Orange River Colony. Consequently Lepidoptera are widely 

 different : in this open country they are fewer and more sober 

 in colouring ; down below they are plentiful, more varied, 

 larger and more gaily coloured. Precis so far seems to be 

 Taelow 3000 feet, and extremely rare up here." 



The observations of another friend further to the north in 

 Africa also show the great abundance of //. viisijjptis and 

 how far it is from occupying the suboi'dinate numerical 

 position assigned to mimics by the late H. W. Bates. Between 

 January 20th and 25th of the present year Mr. C. A. Wiggins 

 captured at Kisumu, near the terminus of the Uganda line, 

 on the N.E. shore of Lake Victoria Nyanza, the following 

 specimens of this model and mimic :— 



Limnas chrys'ippus. Ht/polimnas misqypus (females). 



Type-form 10. Type-form 27. 



klugii-iorni 20. iuaria-iorm 16. 



And again at the end of January and the beginning of 

 February :— 



L. chrysippus. H. misippus (females). 



Type-form 73. Type-form 18. 



Mugii-iovm. 85. | inaria-iovm 15. 



These results are roughly compiled from the unset specimens. 



