ihe Butterflies of the White Nile. 39 



This species, and the remark is even more true of T. 

 eupompe, is easily taken late in the afternoon when dis- 

 turbed from the coarse grass in which the butterflies sleep ; 

 otherwise I quite agree with Messrs. Marshall * and Loat 

 (13, p. 146) as to the wildness of their flight. It is remark- 

 able that the purple-tip is rarely caught sight of during 

 flight, and even the crimson-tip of ewpompe is not nearly 

 so conspicuous as might be supposed, but both butterflies 

 have a pecuhar bluish- white look when on the wing. 



54. Teracolus eupompe, Klug. 



This species is both sexually dimorphic and variable, 

 and has consequently been spht up by authors into, e.g. 

 pseudacaste, Butler ; theopompe, Felder, and dedecora, Felder. 

 It would appear also to be conspecific with 7niles, Butler 

 (26. p. 10). 



Klug says : " Habitat in Arabia deserta, in Sinai monte, 

 in Dongola et Habessinia." Capt. Dunn took it on the 

 Bahr al-Zarafa. Petherick took it on the White Nile. Loat 

 took both sexes at Kaka and near Mongalla, as well as at 

 Gondokoro. Selous took a male at Tawila, and both 

 sexes at Tawfikiya. The Swedish expedition took nine 

 males and one female at Renk, Gebel En, and Kaka ; these 

 included the forms theopompe, Feld., and dedecora, Feld. 



In 1909 I took two females at Gebel En ; seven males and 

 a female at Tawila, and an aberrant female at " the 

 Mahdi's place " on Abba Island. 



In 1912 I met with it in considerable numbers, finding 

 it at nearly every landing-place from Ad-Duwem to Rejaf. 

 It was very common at Gebel Ahmed Agha, Kanisa and 

 Mongalla, but might be described as abundant at Rejaf. 



This species varies greatly in size. In a very few examples 

 there is a purple glance or sheen on the crimson-tip. Many 

 of the females were much worn. The great beauty- of the 

 males so fascinated me that I could not resist taking a 

 considerable number, hence my collection gives the wrong 

 impression that this species was commoner on the White 

 Nile than, say, T. evarne, which is less attractive. 



The Rothschild party took it commonly {pseudacaste) 

 at Al-Nakhila in 1904, but I have no record from Khar- 

 tum. Mr. Cholmley took it commonly north of Suakin, 

 and Peel found it in Somaliland. It is common enough at 

 Port Sudan; Col. Yerbury took two specimens at Aden 

 * Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1902, pp. 354, 371. 



