420 Mr. G. A. K. Marshall on 



antilape and cuama from these eggs, as these forms are 

 just beginning to appear." 



As explained above, both piipai emerged as antilope* 



D. The Habits of the two ^Seasonal Phases of the South 

 African S-pccies of the Genus Precis, and the Stations 

 11-Jiich they rcsinctively occtipy. 



That these butterflies should exhibit a marked ditfer- 

 ence in habit and station corresponding to a difference in 

 appearance at the wet, as compared with the dry season, 

 is of such paramount importance in the consideration of the 

 significance of these phenomena, that I quote at length 

 all available observations of naturalists — some of them 

 made before there was any suspicion that such forms as 

 scsamus and natalensis were the two phases of a single 

 species. 



In "South African Butterflies," vol. i, London, 1.SS7, p. 

 230, Mr. Roland Trimen, F.R.S., speaks of the habits of 

 Precis octavia [natalensis, ^ wet phase], as he had seen it 

 " widely spread over Natal in the summer of 1867. It 

 frequents open, grassy hills, especially their summit ridges 

 or highest points, and is very conspicuous, whether flying 

 or settled." 



Of the habits oi P. scsamus he writes (p. 233) : " Though 

 constantly to be seen flitting about with its congeners, 

 octavia, arehcsia, and pclasgis, I have noticed that scsanms 

 has a greater liking than any of them for shady places, 

 preferring to settle under a bank or in some deep road- 

 cutting. . . • The very dark bronzy-green under-side is 

 well adapted for concealment in such spots." 



Of Precis archesia (dry), he notes that it " delights to 

 bask or repose on rocks or large stones. Colonel Bowker 

 has noted that it sometimes congregates under rocks, and 

 is often met with in small rocky caverns in deep forest 

 kloofs." Mr. Trimen has noticed at Highlands, near 

 Grahamstown, " a habit in the $ pelasyLS [wet] which I 

 have never witnessed in the case of archesia [dry], viz. 

 that of perching himself on the projecting twig of some 



* ["Although 1 am still of opinion that Dr. Butler is in error in 

 regarding antilope and rimma as distinct species, yet it may be 

 pniutfd ont that the residts of this experiment do not in anyway 

 disprove his contentions.'' — G. A. K. M.] 



