498 ~ Mr. G. A. K. Marshall on 



Acrseas. Althougli unlike any single species of Acrxa, the 

 likeness to this group and unlikeness to the Lijcn'mdiv was 

 sufficient to deceive Boisduval and at lirst Roland Trinieu 

 (Rhop. Afr. Austr., 1862-66, p. 111). In the Hope Col- 

 lection also I found it had been placed among the Acrseas 

 by Professor Westwood. Its undoubted Lyctv.nid affinities 

 were finally established by Roland Trimcn ("South African 

 Butterflies," vol. ii, 1887, p. 222). 



The above-mentioned errors as to the affinity of this 

 aberrant Lycajnid certainly support the opinion that it 

 bears a general resemblance to the AcnniiKe. It would be 

 interesting to know its resting habits. Witli the under- 

 side exposed and the long narrow wings- it would probably 

 bear some general likeness to a very small Acnea. Mr. 

 Marshall wrote concerning it as follows : — 



" Umlcomaas Mottth, Natal ; Sept. 3, 1897. — Alxna ama- 

 zoula is certainly a protected species, but I do not think it 

 is in any way convergent towards the Acrseas, for it is in no 

 way suggestive of them on the wing, being by no means 

 conspicuous, but rather difficult to follow. Its length of 

 wing has been attributed to relationshi}) with Acnva, but 

 this seems open to doubt. I should prefer to consider it 

 as a parallel development to Acr^a, though it is worth 

 notinof that the allied fjenus Lachnocncma has also some- 

 what elongate wings." 



" Malver/i, Oct. 7, 1897. — The day-flying moths [Fetoxia 

 dickroaria'] captured on the same day as ALtim amazouJa 

 can, I think, be well regarded as convergent in coloration." 



J. Mimicry in Lycxnidm and to a less extent in HesperidfB 

 a Character of the Ethiopian Region. Possible Inter- 

 pretation. 



The instances of mimicry in South African Lycmnidiv, 

 recorded here, and the much larger number known in 

 other parts of the region, especially the tropical West 

 Coast, led me to inquire how the total number of species 

 of this family compared with that of other parts of the 

 world. My friend Mr. Hamilton Druce kindly made an 

 approximate calculation of the number of described species 

 in the two other great tropical south-extending land 

 masses. From Australia, the Malay Archipelago, and the 

 continental portion of the Oriental Region, over 1000 

 species have been described. From the Neotropical Region 



