92 
SOUTH- AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 
and submedian nervure ; a black linear costal edging, abruptly widen- 
ing into a broad apical border, wliicli again grows gradually narrower 
along hind-margin to anal angle. Hind-wing : markings as in fore- 
wing, but inner edge of kind- marginal border indented on nervules, 
and spots more minute (those of transverse row being sometimes partly 
— occasionally wholly — wanting) ; no spot in cell. Under side. — 
Hind-wing and border of fore-iving hroionisli-grey. Fore-wing : spots 
as above, but larger and with whitish edging ; an additional spot in 
cell, near base ; along inner edge of hind-marginal grey a row of linear 
blackish lunules, most distinct near inner margin. Hincl-iving : spots 
as above, but scarcely darker than ground- colour, only marked by their 
hoary rings ; a transverse row of three minute blackish spots near 
base, and a little beyond them a row of three larger, duller spots ; 
submarginal row of lunules continued across this wing, tinged with 
ferruginous. Cilia brownish tipped with white, and with brown inter- 
ruptions on nervules. 
$ Similar, hut duller, and without violaceous lustre ; hasal suffusion 
and Uackish horders ivider, darker {especially in hind-wing) ; spots larger ^ 
all distinct hi hoth luings. Under side. — As in 
A number of specimens taken in Basutoland by Colonel Bowker were 
paler and larger than usual, and with the blue-violaceous lustre of the males 
unusually faint. A $ captured by the same gentleman in the Biggarsberg, 
Natal, has all the black spots of the fore-wing enlarged, those of the discal 
row being all elongated and acuminated inward. 
Orus seems to resemble the well-known and widely-ranging PJdceas more 
than any other Chrysophanus, the colour and pattern of the fore -wings and 
the tints of the under side being very similar in the two forms. But Phlceas 
differs conspicuously in its dark-brown upper side of the hind- wings, with 
only a hind-marginal border of orange-red, and in the absence of any viola- 
ceous-blue lustre in the ^ ; the fore-wings also are more pointed apically, and 
the hind wings anal-angularly, than in O^ms. 
This brightly-coloured little Chrysophanus is distributed over the greater 
part of South Africa, and is particularly prevalent about the vicinity of Cape 
Town. It flies low, but is very active, frequently sitting on the ground or on 
low plants, where it suns itself with its wings half expanded. I have taken 
it in every month of the year except January and February, but it is more 
numerous from September to November, and again in March and April. It 
often appears, however, in the winter ; and Colonel Bowker found it amongst 
the very few butterflies that seemed able to bear the severe winter of Basuto- 
land, appearing on sunny days in such fine condition as to induce the belief 
that they were but just out of the pupa. 
Localities of Chrysophanus Orus. 
I. South Africa. 
B. Cape Colony. 
a. Western Districts. — Cape Town. Stellenbosch. Robertson. 
Triangles Station, Worcester District {L. Peringuey). 
h. Eastern Districts. — Uitenhage (S. D. Bairstoiv). Grahamstown 
{H. J. Atherstone). King William's Town."— W. D'Urban. 
j^Iurraysburg (/. Mushett). Burghersdorp (i). R. Kennemeyer). 
d. Basutoland. — Koro-Koro and Maseru (/. H. Boicher). 
