The Bionomics of South African Insects. 337 



conclusion is suggested that Bates was mistaken in sup-, 

 posing that Asiiid flies play no part as the enemies of 

 H.elico7hinse and Ithomiin^e. 



7. Lepidoptera with Warning Colours specially 

 liable to the attacks of parasitic insects. 

 (G. A. K. M.) 



[The late Erich Haase in his work on mimicry (English 

 translation " Researches on Mimicry," etc., Pt. II, Stutt- 

 gart, 1896) continually made the assumption that the 

 immunity of Danainx, Acri&iniB, and other specially-pro- 

 tected groups is absolute, and extends to the attacks of 

 parasitic Hymenoptera and Diptera as well as to those of 

 insect-eating vertebrates. A little reflection upon the rate 

 of multiplication of animals, and especially of insects, 

 makes it clear that any such absolute immunity is an 

 impossibility. A high degree of protection from the 

 attacks of the generality of insect-eating animals will 

 always be found to be compensated by the attacks of 

 special enemies, and i^robably very largely by that of 

 insect parasites. I brought forward this argument in 

 1890 (" Colours of Animals," London, p. 181) ; and Haase, 

 without attempting to meet it, made the crude assump- 

 tions which will now be dismissed, once and for all, by 

 the numerous observations recorded below. — E, B. P.] 



Estcourt, Oct. 15, 1896. — We brought seventy-five 

 larvre of Acrma anacreon home with us from Ulundi to 

 Estcourt, and no less than twenty of them were killed by 

 a Dipterous parasite, so that, although it may be protected 

 in the imago stage, the percentage of larval deaths must 

 be very high. 



Mcihcrn, Feb. 21, 1897. — I certainly cannot understand 

 Haase's attitude with regard to protection from parasites. 

 There are such patent examples to disprove it among 

 European "whites." Out of eight pupa3 of Acn&a liorta 

 that I bred this season no less than five were killed by a 

 Dipterous parasite. 



[I have also received from Mr. Marshall two cocoons 

 and two imagines of an ichneumon bred from Acriea, 

 cdbira at Malvern. They bear the date April 1897. — 

 E. B. P.] 



Unikomacis Mouth, Natal ; Sept. 3, 1897. — I think it is 

 highly probable that Byhlia ilithyict will prove to be dis- 

 tasteful as you suggest ; but so far as my experience goes 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1902. — PART III. (NOV.) 23 



