420 Mr. G. A. K. Marshall ooi 



antilo'pe and cuama fruni these eggs, as these forms are 

 just beginuiDg to appear." 



As explained above, both pupi^e emerged as antilo2?c* 



D. The Habits of the two Seasonal Phases of the South 

 African Species of the Genus Precis, and the Stations 

 ivJiicli they rcs'pccticely occupij. 



That these butterflies should exhibit a marked differ- 

 ence in habit and station corresponding to a difference in 

 appearance at the wet, as compared with the dry season, 

 is of such paramount importance in the consideration of the 

 significance of these phenomena, that I quote at length 

 all available observations of naturalists — some of them 

 made before there was any suspicion that such forms as 

 sesamus and natalensis were the two phases of a single 

 species. 



In "South African Butterflies," vol. i, London, LS87, p. 

 230, Mr. Roland Trimen, F.R.S., speaks of the habits of 

 Precis octavia [jiatale7isis, ^ wet phase], as he had seen it 

 " widely spread over Natal in the summer of 1867. It 

 frequents open, grassy hills, especially their summit ridges 

 or highest points, and is very conspicuous, whether flying 

 or settled." 



Of the habits of P. sesamus he writes (p. 233) : " Though 

 constantly to be seen flitting about with its congeners, 

 octavia, archcsia, and 'jielasgis, I liave noticed that sesamus 

 has a greater liking than any of them for shady places, 

 preferring to settle under a bank or in some deep road- 

 cutting. . , . The very dark bronzy-green under-side is 

 well adapted for concealment in such spots." 



Of Precis arcliesia (dry), he notes that it " delights to 

 bask or repose on rocks or large stones. Colonel Bowker 

 has noted that it sometimes congregates under rocks, and 

 is often met with in small rocky caverns in deep forest 

 kloofs." Mr, Trimen has noticed at Highlands, near 

 Grahamstown, "a habit in the $ pelasgis [wet] which I 

 have never witnessed in the case of archesia [dry], viz. 

 that of perching hiujself on the projecting twig of some 



* [" AUliou;j;li I Hill .still of ophiion that Dr. Butler is in error in 

 regarding antilope and cuama a.s distinct species, yet it may be 

 pointed ont that the results of this experiment do not in any way 

 di.s2Jfove liis contentions." — G. A. K. M.] 



