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III. jVotes on the Habits of Papilio Merope, tvith a 

 description of its Larva and Pupa. Bj J. P. 

 Maxsel Weale, B.A. 



[Read 17th November, 1873.] 



At the request of Mr. Trimen I have for the last two 

 years given my attention to the study of Papilio Merope, 

 Cram., and I now propose to lay before the Society the 

 result of my study of its life-history. 



During my residence at the Koonap and Bedford, fi-om 

 1864-69, I spent most of my time in collecting insects and 

 ])lants. So conspicuous a butterfly as Papilio Merope, 

 with Avhich I had become acquainted at Grahamstown 

 and Peddie, could hardly have escaped my observation, 

 yet, during the Avhole of that time, the first four years of 

 Avhich Avere very dry, ^^ith prevalent north-westerly Avinds, 

 I onlv twice noticed Merope $ , viz., December and Feb- 

 ruary, 1868-69. 



AVhen Mr. Trimen informed me of his opinion that 

 P. Cenea was the female of Merope, I must own that I 

 was very sceptical, notwithstanding my own observations 

 of some curious cases of mimicry. 



'Following up the subject with a good deal of zeal, I 

 began to learn the habits of P. Cenea, and to imderstand 

 the meaning of the peculiar circular flight of Merope, as 

 mentioned by Mr. Trimen in Rhopalocera Africa Austra- 

 lis, vol. i. p. 12. 



At the bottom of my garden, at " Brooklyn," near King 

 William's Town, is a glen or kloof, filled with trees and 

 shrnbs, through Avhich runs a small stream. A portion of 

 this I have partially cleared and planted with flowers and 

 garden shrubs. The spot is nicely sheltered, and receives 

 the early rays of the morning sun. It is a favourite resort 

 of butterflies. 



If on a fine Avarm summer's morning I go down to this 

 kloof, about 9 or 10 a.m., I am nearly certain to see one 

 of the females, generally a Cenea. At this time of day 

 she flies lazily about, much after the manner of a Danais, 

 or flutters over the floAvers like a true Papilio. Her mate 

 is not generally so early on the Aving, but shortly after- 



TRAXS. EXT. SOC. 1874. — PART I. (FEB.) K 2 



