Case of Papillo Me rope. 139 



some similar cases in anotlier paper. I carried out this 

 intention in a paper read before the Linnean Society on 

 5th March, 1868,* which described all the cases of 

 mimicry among African butterflies with Avhich I was then 

 acquainted. AN'ith P. Merope, I associated all the female 

 forms just mentioned, pointing out how two of them 

 {Cenea and Ilippocoon) accurately imitated Danais 

 Echeria and D. Niavius respectively, and a third, 

 Troplionius, fairly copied D. CJiri/sippus. The still 

 prevalent instability of the $ Blerope was indicated by a 

 reference to the various specimens more or less inter- 

 mediate between the more pronounced forms, which are 

 sometimes met Avith. Referring to the closely-allied 

 P. Meriones, of Madagascar, I noted that the 2 of that 

 species only differed from the $ in the possession of a broad 

 black bar on the costa of the forewings ; which marking 

 I suggested as the material upon which — in the case of 

 active persecution and destruction of all the paler females 

 of the allied species on the African continent — " natui-al 

 selection might gradually work, to the ultimate production 

 of a Danaidiform butterfly like Hippocoon or even Cenea. 



jNIy view of the case naturally met Avith more acceptance 

 among entomologists who had observed insects in tropical 

 or sub-tropical regions than among those whose experience 

 Avas limited to Europe, and it received the Aveighty support 

 of Mr. Bates in his Address to the Society at the Anni- 

 versary iMeeting on the 25th January, 1869.t Mr. A. Gr. 

 Butler, :j: and Mr. W. F. Ivirby, § subsequently pviblished 

 their belief in the case by giA'ing Cenea, &c., as the females 

 of Merope, and of the Western form {Brutus, Fab.) re- 

 spectiA'cly. 



Among the lepidopterists Avith Avhom I have the plea- 

 sure to be acquainted, I think the most uncompromising 

 opponent of my vicAv of this matter Avas my friend 

 Mr. Hewitson; — though I must say that our distinguished 

 President, Professor Westwood, was almost as resolute in 

 his unbelief. I am not aAvare that the latter published any- 

 thing on the subject ; but Mi'. Hewitson, in the letter-press 

 accompanying his excellent figures of Hippocoon, and the 

 closely allied forms from Western Africa {Exot. Butt., 



* Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xxvi. 

 t Proc. Ent. Soc, 1868, pp. Ixviii., Ixix. 



X Trans. Ent. Soc, 1869, pp. 275, 276; and Cat. Fabr. D. Lep. in B. M., 

 1869, p. 2r,2. 



§ Synoii. Catal. Di. Lep., 1871, p. 503. 



