i68 
SOUTH-AFKICAN BUTTERFLIES. 
Fab., but is distinguished by its deeper ground-colour and strong rosy 
gloss, as well as by the longer and sharper inward nervalar dentations 
of the hind-marginal border of the fore-wings ; the too, is almost 
always more marked with dusky suffusion at the base of the fore-wings, 
and has the hind-marginal border of the hind-wings blacker and better 
defined. In all these characters, except the more sharply-dentated 
inner edge of the hind-marginal border, Eledra is more allied to the 
Himalayan C. Fieldii, Menet., a species remarkable for the large size 
of the black disco-cellular spot of the fore-wings, which is on the under 
side (and in one $ more faintly on the upper side also) centred with 
silvery-white. The larva of Eledra differs from the descriptions and 
figures of that of Edusa known to me by possessing more conspicuous 
and defined longitudinal stripes of dark and light green, and by want- 
ing altogether the conspicuous orange spots on the lateral white or 
yellowish-white streak. 
The % deposits her eggs singly, each on a separate leaflet of 
lucerne, clover, or trefoil.^ The egg is very pale-yellow, very elon- 
gate, sub-cylindrical, slightly fluted longitudinally ; it is attached by 
the broader extremity only, so as to stand erect, the smaller free end 
being subcorneal. 
This Colias seems distributed throughout South Africa ; it is almost every- 
where abundant, and flies throughout the year, but is more prevalent in the 
summer months. On the wing it is less swift tlian Edusa, and much less so 
than Hyale. Some of the duller-tinted 9 s, especially if somewhat worn, look 
very dingy in contrast to their brilliant mates. I have frequently taken the 
paired sexes, and Colonel Bowker took them at Isipingo in Natal, but in no 
case that has come under my notice was the $ of the white form. The most 
northern localities for the species known to me are Damaraland on the west 
and the Upper Limpopo on the north-west border of the Transvaal; but 
according to Oberthiir, it was met with by Antinori in Abyssinia, and I 
think it not improbable that the specimens taken by Mr. H. H. Johnston in 
Kilima-njaro — referred by Mr. Godman (P. Z. S. L., 1885, p. 540) to C. Edusa 
— were actually Eledra. 
Localities of Colias Eledra. 
1. South Africa. 
B. Cape Colony. 
a. Western Districts. — Cape Town. Ookiep, Namaqualand District 
(L. Peringuey). Stellenbosch. Wellington and Paarl. Vogel 
Vley and Ceres, Tulbagh District. Robertson. Swellendam 
{L. Taats). Van Wyk's Vley, Carnarvon District {E. G. AlstoJi). 
Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. Oudtshoorn ( — Adams). 
h. Eastern Districts. — Uitenhage {S. D. Bairstoiu). "Port EHza- 
beth."— W^ S. M. D Urban. Grahamstown. Kowie River- 
mouth (/. L. En/). King William's Town (W. D' Urban). 
Windvogelberg, Queenstown District (Dr. Batho). Murraysburg 
{J. J. Muskett). Colesberg {A. F. Ortlepp). 
^ Mrs. Barber informs me that the food plants of the larva at Highlands, near Grahams- 
town, are a species of Indigofera, Trifolium Burchellianum, and T. Africanum. 
