Notes on Seasonal Dimorphism. 563 



reached the higher veldt as far south as Mangwe where 

 it was common. 



The case of M. safitza, Hew., is yet more curious. It 

 is a common species on the Natal coast where it exhibits 

 a. distinct dry season form described by Hopffer under 

 the name evenns. At Kuysua, in the Cape Colony, evenus 

 is found both in summer and winter; along the East Coast 

 safitza occurs in summer, evenus in the winter ; on the 

 plateaux in Mashunaland we have safitza in summer and 

 selousi in winter. 



The nomenclature of the South African Mycalesis 

 should therefore stand thus : — 



Wet season form. Dry season form. 



Mycalesis safitza, Hew. = i ^hcale-^'^ evenus, Hopf. 



I Mycalesis selousi, Trim. 

 Mycalesis perspicua, Trim. = Mycalesis simonsii, Butl. 



There are several other species of the Nymjphalidse 

 which I believe will eventually be admitted to be merely 

 seasonal forms, but I have not sufficient data to deal with 

 them at present. Neither have I sufficient scope in the 

 limits of the present paper to attempt to offer any ex- 

 planation of the reason of the greater or less seasonal 

 changes in various species, that being a subject of con- 

 siderable complexity, to which I hope to return later. 



In conclusion, I can only trust that the foregoing re- 

 marks may show the field lepidopterists in South Africa, 

 whose numbers, I am glad to say, are increasing annually, 

 the immense importance of labelling every specimen in 

 their collections with locality and date of capture. And 

 further, I hope they may be induced to put on record 

 more than they have done in past years, their experience 

 of the habits, range, etc., of the various species with 

 which they are familiar, for the benefit of systematists at 

 home who are doing such excellent work, but who are 

 often liable to fall into error in differentiating species 

 merely from lack of support on the part of collectors. 



Since writing the above I am glad to be able to record 

 an instance of seasonal dimorphism in the genus Terias 

 which has been proved by breeding experiments. 



While staying with Mr. J. M. Hutchinson, of Estcourt, 

 Natal, in the latter half of last February, I succeeded in 

 obtaining a number of eggs of Terias zoe. On my leaving 



TEANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1896. — PART IV. (dEC.) 38 



