MR. TRIMEN ON MIMETIC ANALOGIES AMONG AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 513 



resemblance Lome to Daiuus Chri/slppus by the female Diadema Bolliia, Linn., as this 

 is one of the most generally known cases of mimicry in existence. The Diadema 

 accompanies the Danais throughout its range, with the single exception of the European 

 shore of the Mediterranean — and is even recorded from Australia and South America *, 

 regions in which Chri/slppus does not occur. It is very seldom that one receives a 

 collection, however small, containing C/iri/sippits, in which Bol'ma is absent. I have been 

 careful to note all the recorded localities of specimens of both 1)utterflies that have come 

 under my notice, and iiiid that the two coexist in twenty-two different localities, in 

 addition to which there are seven instances of their occurrence in closely adjacent 

 districts +• Still more interesting is the fact that the ? Diadevia presents two varieties 

 exactly corresponding with the varieties of Chrysippus mentioned above, viz. one in 

 which the hind Avings are more or less clouded with white, and another [Inaria, Cram.) 

 that has the apical black and white of the fore wings replaced by the brick-red ground- 

 colour J. In eacli of these cases, I have not succeeded in finding more than one locality 

 where the variety of Chri/sippas is known to be accompanied by the corresponding 

 variety of JBolhia, viz. Sierra Leone, where the white-clouded form of both butterflies 

 occurs, and D'Urbau, Port Natal, whence I have both Dorippiis and Inaria; but 

 there seems little reason to doubt that they are to be found together in many other 

 places, when we consider how widely the varieties of both insects range. 



In nature, the imitation of Chrysippus by the ? Boliua is singularly deceptive, as well 

 when the butterfly is settled on ilov/ers as when it is on the wing ; and it requires a keen 

 eye and close observation to distinguish one insect from the other. I am disposed to 

 imagine that the closeness of the mimicry even deceives the male Chrysipjnis ; for, on 

 one occasion, at Port Natal, in a spot where the Dauais was abundant, I was for some 

 time watching two females of Boliua that I had carefully marked, and was as much 

 surprised as interested to observe a Chrysippus pertinaciously chase one of the Bolina- 

 about the place. The female Diadema naturally gave Chrysippus no encouragement, 

 and, being more active on the wing, repeatedly evaded her pursuer §. Waiting to see 

 the close of this singular chase, I unfortunately lost sight of the Chrysippus among the 

 other specimens floating about ; but I captured the ? Bolina, and have no doubt that 

 the pursuer was of the male sex. 



I have already noticed the rare form of the female Papilio Merope (P. Trophonius, 

 Westw.), which mimicks D. Chrysippus. This imitation is not by any means as close 



* Regarding the latter region, it seems to be doubtful wbether D. Bolina has succeeded in naturalizing itself in 

 any of the localities mentioned by authors ; but the insect certainly appears to have been taken in Uniana (Boisduval 

 and Doubleday), Surinam (Cramer and Boisduval), Cayenne (Godart), and Para (Hopffer). 



t Even in the oceanic islands to which Clirijsipptis extends, such as St. Helena (Coll. Burchell), Bourbon, and 

 Mauritius, BoVina appears as its constant companion ; liut I have not heard of the hitter's occurrence in Tenerilfe, where 

 Chrysippus has been taken. 



X SimUarly to Klug's type of Dorippits. the /y/«/-/«-form of the $ Boliifi is sometimes found with a wliite suffusion 

 on the hind wings. 



§ The d Bolina, when pursuing the female, keeps a little below her, with his wings constantly and rapidly 

 quivering, while the female slowly rises, with little motion of the wings, towards the simimit of some adjacent tree. 

 Mr. J. H. Bowker observed this in Kaffraria. in the year 1803; and I have since noticed he same in Jfatal. 



VOL. XXVI. 1 B 



