( xxxix ) 



district of the Uganda British Protectorate, particularly that 

 in which Planema pogcjei., Dewitz, is imitated by an apparent 

 variety of Pseudacrsea kimoivii, Dewitz, and also by a hitherto 

 undescribed form of the polymorphic $ Papilio merope, Cram, 

 He mentioned that both Planema jwggei and Pseudacraea 

 k'tnowii were described and figured by Dewitz in 1879 from 

 single specimens taken by Dr. Pogge in Angola, and added 

 the interesting fact that the only other example of the unde- 

 scribed mimicking form of the 5 Papilio ynerope known to 

 him — in the Hope Department of the Oxford University 

 Museum — is ticketed "Angola; Piogers, 1873." Now, all 

 three butterflies had been found as far to the eastwai'd as 

 Uganda, the Planema apparently not uncommonly, but its 

 two mimickers veiy rarely indeed, by Mr. C. W. Hobley, of 

 Kisumu. 



This case was of special interest because it was the first brought 

 to notice of the mimicry of one of the Acrxinx by a 5 Papilio 

 of the 7nerope-grouip of the genus, members of the Danaine 

 genera Amauris and Danais being the known models copied. 

 Yet it must not be forgotten that the extremely rare form 

 of 9 of the Abyssinian Pap. antinorii, Oberthlir, named 

 Euspinx by Kheil, mimicked the moth Alelis helcita more 

 closely than it did Danais chrysippus ; and the large number 

 of variations in various directions from the principal and 

 pronounced mimicking forms of the -rjierojoe-group indicated 

 plainly how plastic and adaptable they remain for modification 

 in any advantageous direction. 



Planema poggei was one of the largest species of its genus, 

 and must be very conspicuous in life owing to the very broad 

 postmedian transverse rich ochre-yellow band of the fore- 

 wings in contrast with the white median band of the hind- 

 wings. The Psetidacrsea — which Mr. Trimen referred with 

 some hesitation to Ps. kunoioii, on account of the different 

 markings on the under-side of the fore-wings in the premedian 

 area — was an excellent mimic of the Planema in every way, 

 except in the narrower white band of its hind-wings. In 

 Mr. Hobley's large collection only one example ( 9 ) of this 

 Pseudacrxa occurred, and similarly only one of the undescribed 

 form of the ^ Pap. merope. 



