292 L1EUT.-C0L. J. M. EAWCETT ON THE 



1. The Coast Zone, in which Durban is situated, has a tropical climate, and abounds 

 in thick jungles or " bush " (as it is called in South Africa) of virgin forest, the open 

 spaces being mainly under cultivation for tea, pine-apples, sugar-cane, and bananas. 

 In this district Bellevue, some 12 miles out of Durban, and Pinetown are good 

 localities for Butterflies, while a fine tract of virgin forest, called the " Berea," extends 

 to the very outskirts of the city of Durban ; but, as a rule, all the bush in this zone is 

 full of Butterflies and Moths of species characteristic of the tropics. 



2. The Middle Zone comprises (for the purpose of these Notes) the Maritzburg 

 district. The country here is much more open, and consists of grassy downs with here 

 and there a little mealie cultivation, and a few plantations of wattle (Elepliantorrhiza 

 burchelli) and blue gum {Eucalyptus globulus), imported from Australia. 



About 70 miles inland a plateau runs north and south, parallel to the sea, and 

 attaining a height in some places of 5000 feet : on the eastern slopes of this range are 

 the only coverts of virgin forest in this zone ; they are known as the " Town Bush " 

 (above Maritzburg) and " Karkloof " (about twenty miles north of it). In these coverts 

 alone are the rarer species of Rhopalocera to be found : the commoner species, the 

 larvae of which feed on more or less cultivated plants, such as orange, lemon, passion- 

 flower, vine, oak, &c, being found in Maritzburg and its vicinity. It is remarkable, 

 however, how many larva? in Natal feed on imported plants. 



3. The High Levels comprise the country above the 5000 feet plateau above alluded 

 to up to the Transvaal and Orange Free State. It mainly consists of open grassy 

 downs (called "veldt " by the Boers), with here and there rocky knolls (" kopjes" or 

 " koppies ") covered with large boulders, entirely devoid of timber, with the exception 

 of a few imported blue gums planted round the farm homesteads ; from this district, 

 however, came but few of the forms mentioned below. 



II. — Observations on the Ehopaloceea. 



Most of the species which have been observed are double-brooded, the larvae of the 

 first brood appearing in November and December, changing to pupae in January, and 

 the imagines appearing early in February ; while the second brood is met with in 

 March, and remains in the pupal stage till the following October. Those which are 

 single-brooded generally appear as imagines in October. 



In the case of species which have already been figured and described, merely the 

 writer's experiences and observations in rearing them are recorded, and - the reader is 

 referred to the published descriptions and figures. 



Mr. J. F. Quekett, Curator of Durban Museum, and Mr. W. Haygarth, of Natal 

 Government Railways, have rendered much valuable assistance in the preparation 

 of these Notes, and have presented man}' of the larvae described to the writer. 



