The aberrant Lyceenid {Alcena amazoula) has a general Acrseine aspect, and 

 is very unlike the well-known appearance of its true family. It is probably dis- 

 tasteful, and is resembled with tolerable closeness, especially upon the under- 

 sides of the wings, by a day-flying Geometrid moth {Peiovia dich-oarid). They 

 were captured together at Malvern, near Durban, on September 26, 1897. 



A most interesting series of injured specimens of butterflies showed the 

 probable attacks of birds or lizards, observations in the field aftbrding strong sup- 

 port to this interpretation. Members of the specially protected conspicuous 

 groups were, as Fritz Miiller showed in the case of South America, also subject to 

 attack. Comparatively few of the injuries were inflicted at the junction of the 

 fore and hind wings, or indeed anywhere except at the apex of the fore wing, or, 

 more commonly still, at the anal angle of the hind wing. In many cases the 

 injury was symmetrical, indicating that a piece had been bitten out of both right 

 and left wings during the usual attitude of rest, or as they came together momen- 

 tarily in flight. The two points of special attack are commonly rendered con- 

 spicuous by special marks, and, in the case of the hind wing, structures such as 

 ' tails,' ' eye-spots,' &c. In the Lycceynda, where the ' tails ' are rendered still fur- 

 ther prominent by movement, many specimens were captured with these parts 

 bitten out from one or both of the wings. 



Large additions were also made to our knowledge of mimicry and warning 

 colours in Coleoptera. In the Carabid genus Anfhia, a probable warning character 

 common to different species consisted in a large, white patch, placed in some 

 species on the sides of the thorax, in others on the anterior surface of the eljtra. 

 The general effect was the same, but the anatomical relations entirely alien. The 

 characteristic banded pattern of the CantharidcB was shown to be resembled by 

 beetles of widely different groups, the spotted pattern of the Coccinellidce by a 

 Hemipterous insect {Steganocerus multipunctatus), while the appearance of many 

 S. African species of Lyddce, light-brown anteriorly and black posteriorly, was 

 reproduced in beetles of many groups, many species of Hymenoptera, a Hemi- 

 pteron, two moths from remote sections of the order, and a fly. In the vast 

 majority of these cases of likeness to and among Coleoptera, it is probable that the 

 resemblance is Miillerian (synaposeinatic) rather than Batesian (pseudosematic). 

 The interpretation of the remarkable likeness borne by a species of Longicorn 

 {Phantasia giganted) for certain Curculionidce is more uncertain, although it is 

 clear that some general principle is at work, inasmuch as resemblances between 

 other species of the same groups are well known in many parts of the world. An 

 interesting group of superficially similar insects from three different orders con- 

 sisted of a Bracon, a Reduviid bug, and a Longicorn beetle. 



Evidence of the struggle for existence in Coleoptera was supplied by a group 

 of five beetles taken from the crop of a Guinea-fowl {Nuinida coro7iata). The 

 four species belonged to the Buprestids, Curculios, Longicorns, and Phytophaga. 

 All the beetles had been swallowed whole and were almost uninj ured, even as 

 regards limbs and antennae. 



Among the other orders of Insecta the Hemiptera afforded a wonderful 

 example of mimicry or common warning colours from Malvern, near Durban, the 

 Reduviid bug Phonoctonus nigro-fasciatus bearing the most remarkable likeness to 

 the somewhat smaller Lygaeid Dysdercus superstitiosus. The mimetic resem- 

 blance of Diptera to Aculeate Hymenoptera was illustrated by many examples, 

 model and mimic having been captured in the same place and within the same 

 month. The most remarkable of these was a splendid new species of Hyperechia, 

 closely resembling the black, reddish-brown banded, African species of Xylocopa, 

 such as X. flavo-rufa. Instances of common warning (synaposematic) colours in 

 Hymenoptera were also illustrated by a group of three species with a general 

 resemblance to each other : the Aculeata being represented by a species of 

 Myzine and one of Ceropales, the Terebrantia by a species of Ichneumon. All 

 were captured at Salisbury in January 1899. 



The whole of the material here briefly described may be seen in the Hope 

 Department of Zoology, Oxford University Museum. 



