DURBAN 
193 
Acanthaceous plant called by the natives “ u-Bomaan.” Through 
the scrub there has been cut a very wide, grass-covered road, which 
keeping parallel to the coast, runs up hill and down dale for at least 
a couple of miles, how much further we had not time to investigate. 
This road with its occasional glimpses of the sea, perhaps 150 or 
200 ft. below, afforded the most delightful collecting ground imagin¬ 
able. One was constantly reminded of ridings through woods in 
Southern England, but rudely brought back to reality, once by 
catching the net in the well-concealed thorns of the familiar “ fern- 
asparagus ” {Asparagus plumosus) of our dinner-tables, another time 
by a glimpse of the dusky form of a cryptically-coloured Kaffir 
in the gloomy shadow of the forest. But everything has its draw¬ 
backs ; that of the Bluff was climatic, for all too soon after midday, on 
both our visits, the south-east Trade-wind freshened and great clouds 
rolling up from the Indian Ocean sent all well-regulated butterflies 
to bed. 
Danaida chrysippus was very common, especially towards the 
more civilized end of the road. Planema esebria , curiously enough 
the only species of the Acraeine group that we saw there, has a 
flight of moderate rapidity, but two were easily caught. Several 
Atella phalantha were seen and a few netted. Precis was represented 
by a single clelia. 
Eurytela hiarbas was present but not common; of Byblia goetzius, 
two were taken, one of them less “dry” than usual. Salamis 
anacardii , with its slow flight, looked strangely smaller than it is; 
it soon settled on a leaf and appears to be a very sluggish insect. 
Two females of Mycalesis safitza are recorded from the Bluff. 
By far the predominant butterfly was Belenois severina, which was 
very abundant; the males largely exceeded the females in numbers, 
but a good many of the latter were seen. Though the very large 
majority were of the dry-season type, intermediate examples were also 
present. They appeared to be markedly gregarious, 1 though this may 
have been due to the distribution of their favourite flowers. Two 
pairs were observed in cop the females, hanging down impassive, 
were carried by the males. Of B. gidica , which was far less common, 
we took two males and three females. Most of this species were 
seen near the bottom of the path leading from the harbour up to 
the lighthouse. Of B. thysa , Hopff., we took two males; when on 
the wing they closely resembled the male of Mylothris agathina, in 
1 Perhaps I apply the word “ gregarious ” to butterflies when “ sociable ” might 
be more correct. Certain it is that while many butterflies are solitary in their 
habits, others are found in companies. 
O 
