XX 



Note. — This communication is accompanied with rough sketches of 

 some of these stages, showing that the second and subsequent larvnl forms 

 still retain effective legs, whereas they are. described as " purel}' vestigiary" 

 in SitarisA' The habits of this particular Ceratina have yet to be explained, 

 as this genus of bees is accustomed to nidificate in briars, which would not 

 seem to admit of the Cantharis larva quitting its domicile to burrow under- 

 ground for its ultimate transformations. 



Mr. Meldola communicated the following translation of a paper by 

 Dr. Fritz Muller.f published in ' Kosmos,' May, 1879, p. lOO :— 



" Ituna and Thyridia ; a remarkable case of Mimicry in Butterflies.'" I 



"The genera Ituna and Methona were erected by Doubleday in 1847, 

 and placed between Eutresis and Thyridia in the family Heliconidae, from 

 which they were subsequently removed, with Ithomia and its allied genera, 

 and transferred to the Dana'idae. Methona has since been united with Thy- 

 ridia, Hiibn., next to which genus Ituna still stands in Kirby's ' Synonymic 

 Catalogue' (1871). These two genera appear, therefore, to have been always 

 regarded, and are still recognised, as closely alliedi Their resemblance, how- 

 ever, is not due to consanguinity, but has been acquired through imitation, 

 and is remarkable, inasmuch as the insects have not only deceived casual 

 collectors, but even skilled observers, after careful comparison. The 

 resemblance of the genera named is the more worthy of notice since it 

 occurs l)etween insects both belonging to the group of butterflies which are 

 protected by distastefulness. The explanation which applies in ordinary 

 cases of mimicry — and no other has, so far as I know, been offered — cannot 

 obtain for this imitation among protected species. 



" Ituna, Ilione and Thyridia Megisto, the wings of which are here repre- 

 sented (Figs. 1 and 2), are with us two rather rare butterflies. In addition to 

 the similarity of the wings, which is to be found in the arrangement of the 

 transparent 3'ellowish spots and of the black veins and bands which intersect 

 and divide these spots, and also in that of the white spots which ornament 

 the black wing-borders, may be added the long yellow antenna) and the 

 black and white marking of the body in both species. Both butterflies 



* Fabre, loc. cit., p. 335. Valery Mayet, Ann. Soc. Ent. de France, Ser. 5, 

 tome 5, 1875, p. 80. 



+ [I am indebted to Mr. Cliarles Dnrwiii for drawing ni}' attention to this paper, 

 and to Dr. Ernst Krause, of Berlin, one of the Editors of ' Kosmos,' for ijermission 

 to reproduce it in our ' Proceedings,' as also for having kindly i^laced at my disposal 

 electrotypes of the wood-cuts. — R. M.] 



+ " This paper, as also that on EjncaUa Acontius (' Kosmos,' iv., p. 285) was in 

 our hands before the apiDeaiance of Wallace's papei" on the colours of plants and 

 animals, which e-xplains why the author has not taken Mr. Wallace's later views 

 into consideiaMon." — Note by the Editor of Kosmos.' 



