Production of Mimetic Resemblances among Butterjlies. 359 



Mashonaland, in October 1906. This contained two 

 flies of the genus Pyrgota and one of the genus Sarco- 

 phaga, one beetle {OntlwpTiagus aeruginosus, Roth.) and 

 one butterfly (Precis sp.), far too much damaged for 

 exact identification. — (c) " Luombwa E,., near S.E. 

 boundary of the Congo Free State. 13, xii, 1907. 

 Saw a little Bee-Eater (M. mcridionalis) catch and 

 eat what appeared to be Atella phalantha, though 

 it may possibly have been its mimic Pscudargynnis 

 hegcmone, as they are impossible to distinguish 

 on the wing " : S. A. Neave (note from Diary). — 

 (d) " Besides the above I have on several occasions 

 seen M. meridionalis make more or less successful 

 darts at passing butterflies " : S. A. Neave (letter 

 dated 19, ii, 1909). 



24. Melittopliagus huUockoidcs, Smith (White-fronted Bee- 

 Eater). At Chibababa, in Portuguese E. Africa, Mr. 

 Swj-nnerton watched these birds hawking insects. 

 " During the whole time that I was watching, per- 

 haps a quarter of an hour, I saw the birds fly out 

 six times after butterflies of some size, including 

 Pierines, probably CatopsHia Jiorella and Beknois 

 sever ina or B. mcsentina, as these seemed to be the 

 only white butterflies which were flying over the 

 water. In these six attempts the butterfly was caught 

 outright only twice ; on two other occasions, alter 

 much dodging, it got away and the bird returned to 

 its perch ; while on two remaining occasions, on one 

 bird missing the insect, several others promptly flew 

 out (the first time seven or eight, and the second 

 time three) to join in the sport, the butterfly being 

 eventually captured, each time after some little dart- 

 ing about and confusion. Besides this, on quite a 

 number of occasions, I saw a bird aim at or catch 

 what I took to be a Lycacnid, the others going out to 

 its aid in the same manner three or four times": 

 C. F. M. Swynnerton, "Ibis," 1908, p. 399. [He shot 

 one bird and sent me the stomach, which contained a 

 specimen of Acraea rahlnae, Ward, G. A. K. M.] 



25 Burystomus afcr, Lath. (Yellow-billed Roller). " Ma- 

 sembeti, near Beira, Nov. 1906. This bird was sit- 

 ting on a very tall dead tree, and I saw it take a large 

 reddish or brown butterfly on the wing " : C. H. B. 

 Grant (note from diary). 



