( Ixxxix ) 



the top of the twig to a deep dove colour that would 

 indicate the oldest blossoms below. I was never so com- 

 pletely and so wonderfully taken in during my life, I 

 well believe. I was able to catch about fifteen of the 

 insects which I am sending to the Nat. History Museum, 

 and I hope they will be able to reproduce what I saw.' 



"The insects were taken in a village called Panda, which 

 lies about 40 miles north of Keffi in the ISTassarawa province 

 of Northern Nigeria. The place of capture was a patch of 

 dense undergrowth at the edge of a jungle stream and close 

 to the village ford. It was in the month of October that I 

 saw the insects, and the time of day was about 5 p.m. The 

 insects had selected a branch which was apj^arently leafless 

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

 length of some 9 inches : all the heads 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 information on the subject from the natives. 



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

 their capture. 



" Believe me, 



"Yours truly, 

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



" Med. Officer, N. Nigeria." 



Mr. Gahan said that Dr. Parsons' observations on this species 

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

 Gregory of a nearly related East African species in his book 

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

 plate on which that species had been repi-esented, and re- 

 marked that though it was undoubtedly inaccurate in showing 



