( xvi) 
damp summer, is probably an incipient mimic of an 
Acrean type of colour and markings. Mr. Marshall has 
suggested that natalensis presents many similarities to Acre@a 
acara, Hew., especially upon the under side of the wings. 
The resemblance is probably closer when the insects are flying, 
the most noticeable difference being in the shape of the 
wings. 
“Tt is in favour of this interpretation that a comparison 
with allied species of Precis tends to show that the blue form 
is ancestral and the red a recent departure ; furthermore, the 
latter differs from the former and all its allies in the general 
similarity of the upper and under sides of the wings—a 
characteristic of the Acreinz, as of all specially protected 
groups of butterflies. 
‘‘ Mr. Marshall’s suggestions command increased confidence 
because of his intimate knowledge of the habits of the two 
forms. His description of the wide differences therein, as 
well as in their appearance, is full of interest. The red 
natalensis is described as frequenting higher and more open 
country, while sesamus is found in shady places and gardens, 
and is distinctly warier and more difficult of approach when 
not feeding. 
“Problems of the deepest interest remain to be attacked. 
Thus Mr. Trimen has described the pupz of the two forms as 
differing, and Mr. Marshall considers that both are certainly 
procryptic in colouring, that of sesamus being gilded and con- 
seen. Those, such as Coccinellide, which exist in the perfect form, 
hide themselves. The reason probably is that the amount of palat- 
able food available is not sufficient to make it safe to rely on 
unpalatability, accompanied by warning colouring. Experiments 
with hungry animals support this view. It is possible that the con- 
ditions are similar in 8. Africa, and that warning colours are more 
characteristic of the wet than of the dry season, thus affording 
greater opportunities for mimetic resemblance. If it should here- 
after be shown that Precis is to some extent unpalatable, and that 
its resemblance to an Acrean type is synaposematic rather than 
pseudaposematic, the parallelism with our own fauna would be even 
closer, the conspicuous species which hide and thus adopt procryptic 
habits being represented by one which gives rise to another brood 
with markedly procryptic colouring and habits. It should be noted, 
however, that Mr. Marshall (/.c.) is strongly of opinion that the 
species is not unpalatable, and that the colours of the summer form 
are not aposematic.—E. B, Poutron, November, 1898. 
