Tlic Bionomics of South African Insects. 505 



deduction from the theory of mimicry that a high grade 

 of resemblance must imply excessive persecution, either 

 now or within recent times, unless we are prepared to 

 admit some other convergent force." 



" Salishury, Sept. 27, 1901. — With regard to JMiillerian 

 mimicry I quite agree that the slow flight and the bright 

 colours of protected forms would lay them open to much 

 experimental tasting from inexperienced birds; but the 

 extreme toughness of their integuments (for example in 

 the Acrgeas) and their great vitality seem to have been 

 specially developed to minimize this danger. And whereas 

 the Batesian mimic, if thus experimented with, would 

 promptly be eaten, a Mlillerian butterfly would run a 

 very good chance of surviving its injuries and propagating 

 its kind. Do not suppose that I in any way disbelieve in 

 the action of Mlillerian mimicry, for 1 certainly think it 

 must be a very strong factor. But this point seems to me 

 to be a real difficulty, and I should like to be able to 

 answer it satisfactorily if it were brought up by an 

 opponent." 



L. Miscellaneous Ohservations on Miyiiicnj in, South 

 African Bhopalocera. (G. A. K. M.) 



a. Nymphcdinm. 



"Malvern, Natal; Feb. 21, 1897. — I do not remember 

 ever havinof seen it suorcrested that the female of the hand- 

 some Charaxcs xiphares mimics A. eehcria, but I have 

 little doubt that such is the case. It is a fairly common 

 species at the Karkloof, but difficult to catch, and I only 

 took one. I believe there are more instances of mimicry 

 in this genus, e. g. achxmencs and giuleria^ia, of which the 

 females are very scarce (though the male of the former is 

 one of the commonest Charaxcs in Mashonaland) and very 

 differently coloured from the males, being remarkably 

 like the common widespread C. satiirnus. Again, some 

 years ago I pointed out to Trimen the strong resemblance 

 of the female of C. tvhytei to Neptis agatha on the wing. 

 I hope to be able to prove before long that Ncptis is a 

 distasteful genus (by the way, is Limenitis edible ?), as its 

 appearance and habits certainly point that way." 



^. Picrinm. 



" Estcourt, Natal; Oct. 15, 1896.— In Durban Mylothris 



