560 Mr. Guy A. K. Marshall's 



The type appears to be intermediate between the last 

 two forms, as of course every grade can be found between 

 the two extremes. The dry season form only frequents 

 the bush, settling on the ground among the dead leaves, 

 or very rarely on small plants, the underside colouring 

 affording it excellent protection. As the season advances 

 the habits of the insect change, and in October and Novem- 

 ber the later form (c) may be found in company with the 

 early form of simia (h), frequenting open tops of kopjes. 

 Hying boldly about within a limited area, and settling 

 with expanded wings on shrubs and bushes. This is the 

 habit of all summer forms of Precis, and in the end of 

 December in both the Mazoe and Umfuli districts I have 

 seen some numbers of P. octaira, P. simia, P. pelasgis, 

 and P. nachtigaUi, chasing one another around in open 

 spots on hill-tops, and at the same time there were a few 

 battered specimens of -P. sesamus, l\ cuarna, P. archesia, 

 and P. artaxia, all of which were evidently on the verge 

 of disappearing. 



(3.) P. octaira, Cram. = P. sesamus. Trim. (= P. 

 amestris, Drury). The dissimilarity in seasonal forms is 

 most marked in this species, but there is much evidence 

 to show their identity. Apart from the fact that they are 

 confined respectively to the wet and dry season, they have 

 been taken in copula by Mr. F. N. Streatfield in the 

 Transkri Territory, and on several occasions by Mr. 

 Barker, at Malvern. Moreover, intermediate forms are 

 by no means uncommon, many being recorded by Trimen. 

 On the strength of such seasonal forms alone Mr. Ober- 

 thur, in 1883, decided that P. octaira, Cram., and P. 

 amestris, Drury, were one and the same species. This 

 latter insect is evidently the northern winter form of 

 octaira. The larvae and pupas of octaira and sesomus 

 seem to be indistinguishable. In February, 1888, Mr. 

 Hutchinson found a dozen Precis larvae feeding together 

 on one bush, and at the time he considered them to be 

 those of a single species. Early in Mai'ch they emerged, 

 there being two octaira and ten sesamus. The latter 

 differs from the normal type of winter Precis m the 

 absence of leaf-like colouring below, and the very slight 

 falcation of forewings. This is accounted for by its 

 different habits, for instead of frequenting dead leaves in 

 the bush it prefers the dark rocks on stony and wooded 

 kopjes. The developmeat of the falcation in forewings is 



