NYMPHALIN^. 
233 
being more violaceous than usual, while in some rare instances the 
blue is very pale and suffused. 
There are few such striking contrasts of colour among the South-African 
butterflies as that of the blue and red on the upper side of this beautiful 
species. I did not know the butterfly in life until June 1865, when I was 
delighted at beholding it basking in the sunshine on the Berea Road at 
D'Urban, IsTatal. During my subsequent visit, in the summer of 1867, I met 
with many specimens, chiefly in open hilly country. Though constantly to be 
seen flitting about with its congeners, Oetavia, Archesia, and Pelasgis, I have 
noticed that Sesamus has a greater liking than any of them for shady places, 
preferring to settle under a bank or in some deep road-cutting. Colonel 
Bowker records an interesting note of the extent to which this habit is carried 
at the end of autumn, when he has found Sesamus congregated in some 
number under rocks and in holes of dry banks, as many as twenty-nine indi- 
viduals having been captured at once by placing a net over the hole and 
disturbing them. The very dark bronzy-green under side is well adapted 
for concealment in such spots ; but why the butterflies of this species should 
assemble in this manner is not very apparent. 
In connection with the remarks given above under Precis Odavia, respect- 
ing certain curious individuals exhibiting characters allied to those of P. 
Sesamus, I here call attention to some examples in which, though on the 
whole the characters of the latter species predominate, there are features 
unmistakably approximating them to Odavia. These two examples ( ^ and 
$) were taken by Colonel Bowker in December 1865, within a few days of 
each other, near the Mounted Police Post on the River Tsomo, in Kaffraria 
Proper. They want on the upper side the blue basal irroration ; the central 
fascia is red, tinged with violaceous (instead of blue), and only separated from 
the ordinary red band — which is scarcely macular — by a narrow suffused fus- 
cous ray ; the two rows of blue marks in the hind-marginal border are very 
much reduced (especially in the $ specimen, where they have quite lost the 
form of lunules) ; and in the fore- wing the discoidal cell is marked as in Odavia 
with two red stride, one near base very small and almost obsolete, the other 
near extremity of cell and very conspicuous. On the under side, the discal 
area beyond middle is clouded with pale-red, obscured with bronzy-green near 
costa of both wings ; the basal region is less bronzy, with the markings more 
distinct, and in the discoidal cell of the fore-wing are two pale-reddish striae. 
A third South-African specimen (which I noted in the British Museum 
Collection in 1867 as "presented by R. C. Townshend, Esq.") much resembled 
the two just described, but was smaller, and the red colouring of the upper 
side was without violaceous lustre. On the under side of the hind-wing, the 
basal markings and the inner marginal border to submedian nervure were 
reddish — a feature presented by the Natal specimen near Odavia figured on 
my Plate IV. 
In several of the characters just mentioned these three examples resemble 
the West- African P. Amestris, Dru., but differ remarkably in the possession of 
the central red fascia on the upper side. 
Taking these specimens in association with those noted under P. Odavia, 
and bearing in mind Mr. Streatfeild's capture of the united sexes, it seems only 
reasonable to conclude that they are the hybrid progeny of two such different- 
looking species as Odavia and Sesamus. 
Localities of Precis Sesaimis. 
I. South Africa. 
B. Cape Colony. 
h. Eastern Districts. — Perie Bush, King William's Town (/. H. 
Bowker). 
