516 Mr. G. A. K. Marshall on 



complete illustration hitherto known of the power of 

 mimicry to attract forms of all kinds irrespective of 

 affinity. It is of the deepest interest to observe that the 

 association is almost entirely Mllllerian (synaposematic). 

 The following passages are quoted from letters written by 

 Mr. Marshall about the time when the first consignments 

 were sent ; but the group became very much larger wlien 

 the additions of later consignments were included. — 

 E. B. R] 



Salislmry, Jan. 8, 1890. — The two most prominent types 

 of colour among mimetic Coleoptera are what I call the 

 Lycoid and Mutilloid types. Of the former I have put 

 aside for you a series comprising fifteen species, including 

 several species of Lycus, three species of Longicorns, a 

 Reduviid bug, a fiy, a wasp, an Arctiid moth, a Mylabris, a 

 Hypcracantha, etc., and I shall be able to add more in all 

 probability. 



The Lycoid Arctiid moth is a day-flyer, but the deceptive 

 resemblance is not good on the wing, being best shown 

 when the moth sits, as is its wont, on the ends of grass- 

 stems, etc., after the manner of a Lycus ; it is perhaps 

 even more like Prionocerus dimidiatus, a Lycoid unpalat- 

 able Malacoderm which has a similar habit. 



Salisbury, Feh. 12, 1899. — The six species of Lycus, the 

 Prionocerus, Diacantha, Zonitis, Mykdiris, and Eletica, I 

 proved by experiment to be distasteful to baboons and a 

 kestrel. The Zygsenid I p-esume to be so likewise, as it 

 emits a strong smell ; the Tclcphorus will also probably 

 prove to be unpalatable. The four species of wasps have 

 all got very etfective stings ; thus the only unprotected 

 insects are the fly, which is an admirable mimic of one of 

 the wasps, and the three Longicorns, tliough I am not quite, 

 certain about Pliilagctkcs. As to the Bcduvivs I do not 

 know what to say, there are certainly some very remarkable 

 cases of mimicry in this family. * * * * 



In flight the Zygfenid [Ncurosymjyloca, Fig. 52] is aided by 

 its very brilliant hind- wings, and the Hymenoptera have a 

 flight very different from, and far swifter than, that of 

 Zycics. 



[A complete list of the species arranged in their respec- 

 tive families is given below. Large as the group is it 

 could certainly be made much larger, especially if the 

 whole of South Africa were put under contribution. Thus 

 an obvious addition to the Longicorn mimics is Dyenmo- 



