686 Mr. (j. F. Leigli on Synepigonic series of 



The second female is represented on Plate XXXI, Fig. 11. 

 It is seen that the left hind-wing is somewhat crippled. 

 The specimen is a typical white-spotted form of cenea, 

 similar to female I. of the 1902 group, but having an even 

 smaller development of the buff tint on the inner marginal 

 border of spot (1). 



It is unnecessary to describe the three male offspring in 

 detail ; inasmuch as the form of the band and the develop- 

 ment of the gaps are clearly shown in Plate XXXI, Figs. 

 12-14. It is obvious, on a glance at the figures, that the 

 inner gap is open in two specimens (Figs. 13 and 14), and 

 only interrupted by a faint imperfect band in the third 

 (Fig. 12). The costal gap, although not entirely open in 

 any specimen, is strongly indicated in all three. 



The condition of the band in the males of these two 

 groups raises the question, which was previously suggested 

 (see pp. G81, 682) by the dwarfed female represented in Fig. 

 6, as to whether any of the conditions associated with breed- 

 ing from the egg in confinement may not favour reversion 

 towards the more ancestral form of meriones and merope. 

 It must be repeated that this is but a conjecture which 

 would require the examination of a longer series of captured 

 specimens and a far larger number of bred specimens in 

 order to confirm it. It is, however, suggested as a 

 possibility in certain cases by a study of the limited amount 

 of material at my disposal. 



The proportion of the various forms of the female in 

 these two groups of offspring (1902 and 1903), and especially 

 the absence of io'ophonius from both, raises an interesting 

 question as to their proportion in nature. Existing records 

 do not enable us to arrive at certain or exact conclusions, 

 but the following data are sufficiently in agreement to 

 justify a rough estimate. 



Mr. G, F. Leigh informs me that in a good season in 

 the neighbourhood of Durban, from 25 to 30 males might 

 be met with in a single day ; but some of these would be 

 the same insect encountered more than once. During the 

 last season (1903) Mr. Leigh did not see more than 30 

 females altogether, and of these 2 were the trophonius 

 form. Inquiring the experiences of others in the same 

 period of time, he heard of only one other specimen of the 

 latter variety. 



Mr. G. F. Leigh recognizes a second form of hip2W- 

 coonoides with " chalky- white " markings similar to, and, as 



