African Species of the Genus Acraea. 123 



nervules black. Ground-colour as above but duller, spots as 

 above. H.-w. Ground-colour as above, often with paler discal 

 markings and the basal and inner marginal areas suffused witli 

 pink. The hind-marginal border is pale ochreous, and divided 

 into spots by a series of narrow black arches. Black spots 

 rather variable but usually more distinct than on upperside and 

 arranged as follows. An irregular discal row of eight, the first 

 in area 7 near middle, the second and third in 6 and 5, more 

 distally placed, contiguous, and in a line perpendicuhir to costa, 

 the fourth in 4 close to cell, the fifth in 3 some distance beyond 

 cell, the sixth in 2 touching median and nervule 2, seventh and 

 eighth rather more distal, contiguous, and lying at right angles 

 to hind margin. A basal mark in 9, a small spot in 8 some 

 distance beyond precostal, a transverse subbasal spot in 7, two 

 spots in cell, a basal and subbasal in Ic, close to latter a spot in 

 lb, and nearer base a small spot in la. In dry season specimens 

 several of these spots may be absent and generally all are 

 smaller. Head black brown with reddish tufts on collar. 

 Thorax black with lateral reddish spots and sometimes two 

 anterior dorsal spots. Basal part of abdomen black with 

 orange lateral spots, remainder orange. Fringes white. Claws 

 unequal. 



5 . Expanse 44-52 mm. F.-w. more rounded. Usually duller 

 than (J, some examples being greyish ochreous. One specimen 

 before me, taken by Neave in Augoniland is dull ochreous and 

 the apical and hind-marginal black is unusually broad and 

 inwardly suffused. The h.-w. marginal border is about 3 mm. 

 broad and bears ochreous internervular spots of medium size. 



A. asema, f. gracilis, Wichgr. 



I have examined the type of this form and find that the (J 

 has the h.-w. margin very narrow and all black, the same 

 feature in the 5 being a little broader and spotted with white. 

 Beneath, both sexes have the spots on this border white instead 

 of ochreous. (Mashonaland.) 



With regard to the seasonal forms of this species 

 Marshall states (Trans. Eut. Soc, p. 555, 1896) that "the 

 bright-coloured strongly spotted summer" (= wet season) 

 " form is replaced in winter by a duller form in which 

 tiie black markings are reduced, the two upper spots in 

 subapical row usually being obsolete." 



There is undoubtedly a certain amount of seasonal 

 dimorphism, but from an examination of a large number 

 of examples I am of opinion that the description bright- 



