1897.] BUTTERTLIES COLLECTED IS NATAL. 84? 



" In this neighbourhood L. durhani is a very common insect, 

 frequenting open stony kopjes, where the males may be seen 

 (sometimes three and four togethpr) chasing each other round and 

 round at a great pace, about a foot or so above the ground, and 

 resting occasionally on stones or grass-stems. L. hibulus, however, 

 is distinctly an arboreal ' bush'-loving insect, and is conse- 

 quently scarce here. It is always to be found flying round trees 

 in com])anv with various species of Li/ccenesthes or Azanus, and is 

 never seen in company with L. durhani. It is not nearly so active 

 an insect as the latter and does not fly much unless disturbed, 

 but prefers sitting quietly on the smaller twigs, where its 

 colouring affords it excellent protection. Down at the Tugela, 

 Burn tells me it is a very comiiiou insect everywhere, but though 

 he has collected there for four years he has never taken L. durhani. 

 However, I turned it up while I was down there, finding it only 

 among long grass on the tops of the highest hills. If, after this, 

 you still maintain them to be conspecific, the onus prohandi \\ill 

 remain with you." 



Mr. Marshall seems to think that I am very hard to convince 

 of error, and yet I have always frankly admitted myself wrong 

 when any published opinion of mine has been shown to be 

 incorrect. My view of the specific identity of L. hihulus and 

 L. durhani was based upon the fact that the specimens of the 

 former received from Nyasaland showed considerable variation in 

 size, in the colouring of the females on the upper surface and the 

 pattern of the under surface. There is, however, a wonderful 

 uniformity of character in all the examples of L. durhani sent to 

 us by Mr". Marshall, and I am bound to admit that, although some 

 of the females of L. hihulus received from Nyasa greatly resemble 

 those of L. durhani in the colouring of the upper surface, none of 

 them correspond with the latter on the under surface. 



If it could be shown that L. durhani was a dry form of 

 L. hihulus, I do not think the difference of habit would be unique ; 

 but, unless the species is subject to alternating generation (in 

 which case the dry phase of one brood might appear only shortly 

 before the wet phase of the other), I see no way of explaining 

 the simultaneous perfect condition of both insects. Of course the 

 same argument applies to other species which have been accepted 

 as seasonal forms, but which have also been taken in perfect 

 condition in the middle of the rains. 



67. Thestoe, basuta, Wallgr. 



2 , Estcourt, 4000 feet, 25th November ; S , Trere, 3300 feet, 

 5th December, 1896. 



68. Alceides oethtjs, Trimen. 



Estcourt, 30th September, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, and 19th 

 October ; Tugela Eiver, 22nd and 23rd October, 1896. 



" At one time I thought this species would prove identical with 

 the brown form of A. triJcosama, but I am now svire they are distinct." 



