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IV. Observations on the Case of Papilio Merope, Auct.; 

 with an account of the various known forms of 

 that Butterflif. By Roland Trimen, F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S., &c., Curator of the South- African Museum. 



[Read 17th November, 1873.] 



In connection with the foregoing very interesting paper 

 by Mr. Mansel Weale I think it may prove of use if 

 I give a brief resume of the case of Papilio Merope, and 

 at the same time add a few remarks by way of supplement 

 to INIr. Weale's observations. 



My first introduction to this butterfly in nature took 

 ])lace in 1858, at Knysna, on the south coast of the Cape 

 Colony. The males were numerous in the woods of that 

 district, and from their size and pale colouring were the 

 most conspicuous of all the forest insects. Papilio Cenea, 

 Stoll (now proved by Mr. Weale to be one form of the ? 

 ^ferope), was scarce, and I did not meet with a specimen 

 of it until I had been familiar with Merope for some 

 months. The first Cenea that I found, I very nearly 

 passed by as an ordinary Danais (Amauris) Echeria, 

 Stoll, but something peculiar about the size and markings 

 attracted my attention and led me to capture the insect. 

 I vrell recollect my astonishment on finding that I had 

 taken a Papilio I The points in which this specimen 

 resembled Merope — viz. the apiciil spot of the forewings 

 and the colouring and spotting of the whole body — at 

 once struck me, and were noted in writing on the date of 

 capture ; but I was not at that time at all aware of the 

 extent to which sexual disparity is carried in nature, and 

 instead of crediting Cenea with her proper position as the 

 lawful wife of Merope, I inclined to the belief that she 

 Avas an illegitimate hybrid between the noble Merope and 

 the dusky Danais Echeria I When I afterwards met 

 Avith other examples of Cenea, and also with two of the 

 form Trophonius, Westwood, I had to abandon my idea 

 of a hybrid, and was fairly puzzled. 



It was not until the year 1866, that my brooding sus- 

 picions of some mysterious connection between Merope 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. 1874. — PART I. (FEB.) 



