South African Butterflies. 369 



rather shorter tails on the hind-wings, and a smaller 

 anal-angular orange-spoi ; which latter is almost wanting 

 on the underside, being absorbed by the prolongation of 

 the inner submarginal streak. 



Accompanying my description of this butterfly, was 

 a note of its habit of settling on low plants among 

 the grass, unlike its close ally A. natalensis, which 

 prefers high shrubs or trees. Its ground-loving habits 

 appear to be much more pronounced in the Basuto 

 country, for Mr. Bowker writes: "These butterflies are 

 usually found on stones or on the ground, and rarely on 

 flowers : and, beyond affecting a little state by shuffling 

 backwards, they surpass the most grovelling Zeritis, in 

 their love of dust and dirt. They keep much in pairs, 

 and are easily caught, as they seldom fly for more than 

 ten yards at a time, and often not half that." 



Genus Chrysophanus, Hiibner. 



Chrysophanus Orus. 



PapiUo Orus, Cramer, Pap. Exot. iv. 84, pi. cccxxxii, 

 f. E. F. 



Cramer's figures are very roughly and carelessly 

 executed, the spotting of the hind-wings on the under- 

 side being altogether unlike nature. 



The solitary representative of the typical group of this 

 genus is common and widely distributed in South Africa. 

 Though I did not observe it on the coast of Natal, it was 

 numerous on the higher land near Maritzburg and Grey- 

 town. Many examples have been sent by Mr. Bowker 

 from Koro-Koro and Maseru, all of them rather larger 

 and of paler colouring than those met with in the Cape 

 Colony and Natal, and with the blue- violaceous lustre of 

 the males unusually faint. Orus and its congener Lara, 

 with Pyrgus Dionnis and P. Mafa, are described by Mr. 

 Bowker as the only butterflies that seem able to bear the 

 severe winter of Basuto-land, appearing on sunny days 

 in such fine condition as to induce the belief that they 

 are but just out of the pupa. Two large and richly- 

 coloured males have lately been sent me from the Trans- 

 Vaal Country by Mr. T. Ayres. 



