be evident traces of it. Such species as Planema esebria (certain forms of), Acrtea 

 petrcsa (female), A. oppidia, and, above all, A. encedon {lycin) bear a considerable 

 resemblance to L. chrysippus, inasmuch as all of them possess a dark tip to the 

 fore wing crossed by a white bar, as in the Uanaine butterfly. Looking at the 

 near allies of these species and at the AcrceincB as a whole, we may feel confident 

 that this black-and-white tip is not an ancestral character of the group, but a 

 comparatively recent modification. Again, the fact that this character is some- 

 times more strongly developed in, and sometimes confined to, the female sex agrees 

 with the corresponding relationships in other parts of the world, and furthermore 

 supports the conclusion as to the recent acquisition of the markings. 



Convergence between the Acrcsincs and Danaime of the genus Amauris was 

 next looked for and many examples found. Thus Acrcpu johnstoni of East Central 

 Africa certainly suggests the appearance of one of the echeria group, such as 

 A. }ianningtonii, found in the same locality ; while in West Africa Acresa lycoa 

 resembles the black-and-white Amauris damodes and A. eyialea. Similar resem- 

 blances in the West are to be seen between the large black-and-white females of 

 the numerous species of tlie Acrteine genus Planemn and other Acrseas in the 

 same locality, such as A. cannentis (female) and A. jodutia (female), while the 

 species referred to, of both Acrseine genera, bear some considerable resemblance to 

 an abundant West African black-and-white Danaine — Amauris niavius. Similar 

 relationships occur in the South-East, where Acrseas, such as Planema esebria 

 (white form of female) and P. aganice bear considerable resemblance to the abun- 

 dant black-and-white Danaines — Amauris ochlea and A. dominicnntis. 



It was of great interest to prove that the members of these convergent groups 

 occur, not only in the same place, but at the same time. Mr. Guy A. K. Marshall 

 has kindly done this work, sending me several groups captured at one place in a 

 single day. At Malvern, near Durban, Natal, on March 6, and again on March 

 30, 1897, he captured Limnas chrysippus and several species of Acrcca, with the 

 black-and-white tip to the wing. On March 27 he captured, in the same locality, 

 the black-and-white Planemas (Acrmna;) P. esebria and P. aganice, together with 

 an abundant black-and-white Nepfis (N. ayatha) and a closely similar day-flying 

 moth, Nyctimeris apicalis. It is very probable that these latter forms do not 

 inimick in the Batesian sense, but are themselves specially defended and fall into a 

 Miillerian group. Mr. Marshall did not, on that day, capture any of the black- 

 and-white Danaince. Mr. D. Chaplin, however, on April 5, 1896, obtained at 

 Berea, a suburb of Durban, Amauris ochlea and Pla>iema aganice, as well as 

 Limnas chrysippus, with two species of convergent Acrseas {A. encedon and A. 

 petrcea). Mr. F. D. Godman and Mr. 0. Salvin have kindly presented these 

 specimens to the Hope Collection at Oxford. 



I think it must be admitted tl}at there is now strong evidence for the same 

 convergence between specially protected abundant African species from the same 

 locality as that which is already well known in the tropical East and in tropical 

 America. Various degrees of perfection exist, and it is in every way probable 

 that the resemblance of some members to the standard of their group is not of 

 long standing, and will improve in the future. 



Other facts in the colouring of African Lepidoptera also support this interpret- 

 ation. Thus certain Lyccpnidfe of the genera Pentila and Alce7ia are known to 

 fly very slowly, and in the case of the latter to feign death when captured — cha- 

 racteristics of unpalatable forms. While they thus diifer in habits from Lycseuids 

 genei'ally, they also differ entirely in their appearance, which rather suggests that 

 of an Acrcea, The same is true of moths belonging to manv groups, and perhaps 

 of the abundant butterflies of the genus Byblia. Similarly the large group of 

 Lepidoptera, which has for its centre the abundant day-flying moths of the genus 

 Aleiis, appears to be moulded upon the coloui'ing and pattern of Limnas chry- 

 sippus, differing only in an even greater conspicuousness, due to the white spots or 

 rings on the black body, and the highly developed black-and-white border to the 

 hind wing. It is probable that the common species of the genus Euphcedra, which 

 form some of the most conspicuous members of this group, are themselves specially- 

 protected. To take one more example, certain species of the Pierine genus Mylothris 



