( 68 ) 



except at its extremity, and on this branch they occupied a 

 length of some 9 inches : all the beads were pointing in one 

 direction and that an upward one. I suppose that there were 

 between 30 and 40 insects settled on the branch when I first 

 saw it. After they had been disturbed they admitted of easy 

 capture with a cap and all showed a tendency to re-assemble 

 in the place where I first saw them, while none ventured far 

 into the open. 



" I have no recollection of seeing any flowers resembling in 

 colour this pattern of insects, but racemes of leguminous 

 flowers are a common feature in N. Nigeria. 



" I could get no inform;) t ion on the subject from the natives. 

 " Finally, I should say that the insects have faded since 

 their capture. 



" Believe me, 



" Yours truly. 

 (Signed) "Allan 0. Parsons, W.A.M.S., 



'• Med. Officer, N. Nigeria." 



Mr. Gahan said that Dr. Parsons' observations on this specie? 

 were a strong confirmation of the account given by Prof. J. W. 

 Gregory of a nearly related Kast African species in his book 

 " The Great Rift Valley." He passed round a copy of the 

 plate on which that species had been represented, and re- 

 marked that though it was undoubtedly inaccurate in showing 

 xc] 



the green insects at the top of the stem as being much smaller 

 than the pink onos below, we now had no reason to doubt 

 that these insects are at times to be found arranged in the 

 manner shown on the plate, notwithstanding that Mr. S. 

 Hinde had never seen them bo arranged during the time he 

 had them under observation (see Trans. Km. Soc, 1902, 

 p. 695). Prof. Poulton'- suggestion thai the insects are only 

 arranged in the definite way described by Dr. Gregory, just 

 at the period when they have reached the final stage, was in 

 all probability correct, but it had yet to he proved correct ; 

 and in a matter so interesting it was greatly to be desired 

 that someone on the spot would carry out further observations 

 with a few to settling that point. Mr. Distant had described 

 as a distinct species the pink form shown on Dr. Gregory's 



