340 COL. C. SWINHOE OK MIMIOET IK BUTTEBFLIES 



it speedily falls a prey to the first bird that sees it. In conse- 

 quence of these fighting propensities the wings often become 

 battered and torn, although, apparently without greatly diminish- 

 ing the activity of the insect. I have removed half the total 

 wing-surface on one side with a pair of scissors, but the powers 

 of flight did not seem to be much impaired. On two occasions, 

 on Cumballa Hill in Bombay, I entirely removed both wings 

 from one side and placed the insect in an exposed situation. On 

 the first occasion one was eaten by a crow, and on the second by 

 a Mina ; and in neither case did the birds manifest any hesita- 

 tion in attacking the butterfly. It is fair to conclude from these 

 observations that the species is not distasteful. 



The female of S. misippus however, except as a very rare 

 variety which resembles the male in appearance, always mimics the 

 commonest of all the Danaincs, i. e. Danais chrysippus (Linn.), 

 PI. XV. fig. 2, which is common all over India, Burma, Ceylon, 

 the Malay Archipelago, Madagascar, Aden, and the West, South, 

 and. South-eastern coasts of Africa, but apparently not the 

 interior : in all these localities SypoUmnas misippus also exists, 

 the female being of the Dccnais colour and pattern (see fig. 1) ; 

 and where Danais chrysippus does not exist, SypoUmnas misippus 

 is not to be found *. 



In Africa D. chrysippus is of a dull bronzy red, and not nearly 

 so brightly coloured as it is in Asia ; and similarly the females of 

 S. misippus in Africa are dull bronzy red, whereas in Asia they 

 are brightly coloured. 



In Africa and at Aden there are several forms of Danais 

 chrysippus — some without the white-banded black apical patch to 

 the fore wings (D. dorippus, Klug), fig. 4 ; some possessing 

 this marking, but characterized by white hind wings {D. alcippus, 

 Cram.), fig. 6 ; and also others with the D. dorippus pattern 

 and white hind wings. All these forms are mimicked in their 

 several localities by the females of H. misippus : compare fig. 4 

 with 3, and 6 with 5. 



In India the form of female SypoUmnas which mimics Danais 

 dorippus (without the black and white apical patch) is also 



* Distant, in Rhop. Malay, p. 168, states : — " This species {H. misippus) in its 

 female sex affords one of the best and strongest examples of ' mimicry,' it being 

 a true and startling mimic of Danais chrysippus, a protected species which is 

 found with it in its different habitats, excluding America, where, however, it is 

 ©Tidently an introduced species." 



