Relationship between certain West African Insects. 459 
majority discovered were leaf-green. As with the vegetable- 
eating larvae, the food of Megalopalpus seems to range 
within certain limits, but though larvae have been found 
eating both Jassids and Membracids, a larva accustomed 
to take Jassids will refuse Membracids and. wce versa, 
and there is some evidence that a larva which habitually 
eats one form of Membracid will refuse a closely-allied 
species. 
The mother butterfly, in depositing her egg, which is 
a very characteristic one, exercises the same care in ensuring 
an immediate food-supply for the newly-hatched larva 
as do other butterflies for their plant-eating offspring. 
She places it very commonly in the immediate neighbour- 
hood of an ant-shelter containing Homoptera, and an 
egg-shell is sometimes found attached to a stem actually 
within a shelter, having obviously been deposited before 
the Homoptera attracted the attention of ants, and, 
indeed, probably on the egg-mass itself, before hatching, 
since the Membracid and Jassid colonies seem to remain 
and feed close to the spot where the parent laid her eggs. 
The eggs of Megalopalpus have been found attached to 
the egg-mass of the Homoptera, and in two cases actually 
on living and half-grown Membracid nymphs (p. 466). 
Not only does Megalopalpus feed in the larval state on 
the Homoptera, but the butterfly seems frequently to 
flourish also at their expense, probing them with its 
proboscis and obtaining food-material direct from their 
surface, as well as from the plant on which they happen 
to be resting. [It will be seen on pp. 467, 468, that this 
habit is as characteristic of males as females, and cannot 
therefore be interpreted as bearing relation to oviposition. | 
The following material forms the subject of the succeeding 
notes, dated Jan. 18-22, 1912. 
No. 603 A. g. Larva in forest 14 miles E., Jan. 14, 1912; 
pupation, 3-5 p.m., Jan. 20; emergence, 6.30 a.m., Feb. 1. 
No. 603 B. 9. Larva in forest 14 miles E., Jan. 16, 1912; 
pupation, Jan. 22; emergence, 9 a.m., Feb. 4. The 3 
P. aurwillit kasaiensis sent were running over the larva of 
603 B. 
Seven mature Jassids, Nehela ornata, and 10 immature 
forms of the same species are labelled as the food-insects 
of 603. One mature Nehela, together with the nymph- 
case from which it emerged about Jan. 17, is also present. 
All from the forest near Oni Clearing, about Jan. 17. 
