NYMPH ALINtE. 295 



having been mistaken for Planema Aganice, Hewits. ; and two $ s and three 

 ? s from Pinetown in 1883. The ? s quite agree with the foregoing descrip- 

 tion, except that in the finest and freshest of them the bands of both wings 

 are pure white. The two $ s are considerably smaller than the ? s, the 

 expanse of wings being respectively 2 in. 6| lin. and 2 in. 8 lin. In pattern 

 they do not differ from the 9 , except in the narrower oblique band of fore- 

 wing beyond middle. The fresher of the two has, however, the hands of both 

 icings of a decidedhj pale ochrey-yelloicish throughout, while the other has only 

 a tinge of that colour at the superior extremity of the band of hind-wing. On 

 the under side the sexes present no difference. 



The ^ P. imitatoi- is very unlike the $ P. Hirce, which has rufous bands 

 (including a large patch or short band on inner margin), in imitation of the 

 (J Planema Gea (Fab.) of Western Africa. 



From P. Tarquinia (Trim.), which inhabits the same districts, P. imitator 

 may at once be distinguished by possessing — (i) only one obHque even bar in 

 the fore-wing, instead of two submacular ones, and (2) the black spots in the 

 basal area of botli wings. The apical area is very much blunter in outline, 

 especially in the $ . The palpi are ochre-yellow laterally and beneath, instead 

 of white Avith a black edging ; and the sides of the abdomen are of the same 

 yellow, without any Avhite spots. 



Captain H. C. Harford, of H.M. 99th Regiment, took a single specimen, on 

 the 2ist January 1868, in a narrow bush-path near the Little Umhlanga, 

 and describes it as settled on the ground with the wings expanded, sucking 

 moisture from the damp sand. Another example was captured by Mr. Walter 

 Morant, on the 8th June 1869, near Pinetown: it is noted by him as flying 

 near the ground on a hillside in the vicinity of thick bush. jMr. Harford 

 observes that these two individuals were the only ones ever seen by him. 



P. imitator is a close mimicker of Planema Aganice (Hewitson), the $ dif- 

 fering principally in the fore-Avings in the minor features of possessing some 

 black spots near the base and a slight inner-marginal whitish suffusion, and of 

 wanting a separate white or yellow spot at the extremity of the subapical bar. 

 The spots at the base of the hind-wings are not so numerous as in the Acr(xa ; 

 and tlie palpi are yellow, instead of black spotted with white. The spotting 

 of the head, thorax, and base of abdomen is almost identical in the two 

 insects; and in both the abdomen is ochreous on the under side, while the 

 ochreous abdominal spots and rings of Aganice are roughly represented by the 

 general ochreous lateral colouring in the Pseudacrcea. 



Colonel Eowker, when forwarding ^ and $ in very fine condition from 

 Pinetown in April 1883, wrote: "It is quite impossible to distinguish the 

 difference between this butterfly and Aganice, either when settled or on the 

 wing ; and the first notice you get is the brittle crunch between finger and 

 thumb of Imitator, or the soft leathery feel of Aganice. Death is, moreover, 

 instantaneous with tlie former, while you may squeeze Aganice as long and as 

 hard as you like without effect ; nothing but the poison-bottle will settle 

 him ! " This very exact mimicry leads to the conjecture that possibly P. imi- 

 tator may not actually be so rare as it would appear ; for undoubtedly the 

 ordinary collector would overlook it among specimens of its model, Aganice. 

 At present (April 1884) the eight specimens above mentioned are the only 

 ones known to me as having been met with. Colonel Bowker's examples were 

 taken on 31st March (one), in April (two), and in June (two). 



Localities of Pseudacrcea imitator. 

 I. South Africa. 

 E. Natal. 



a. Coast Districts. — Little Umhlanga {H. C. Harford). Pinetown 

 {W. Morant and /. H. Bowlcer). 



