128 [June, 



chiefly the panope form : and they would fly backwards and for- 

 wards over the trees, but rarely settle. Papilio helenus, tamilana, 

 pammon, liomedon, would come past in the underwood but never 

 settled: and all were males, without exception. The " baskers " 

 would sit with their wings half open as a rule, except Euthalia^ 

 which always sat with its wings spread widely out on a leaf. It is 

 noticeable that all the " baskers " are strong, powerful butterflies, so 

 have little to fear from birds ; the weak, brightly-coloured butterflies 

 never seemed to come and bask ; the strong; ones are, of course, often 

 conspicuosly brightly-coloured too. By the way, when a Papilio 

 settles in the underwood, which of course they constantly do in shady 

 places, they invariably sit with the front wing brought down to cover 

 the bright markings on the hind-wing: I am particularly thinking of 

 P. tamilana (with a bright peacock- blue large spot on the hind-wing — 

 belonging to the P. paris group) ; P. helenus (called daksha in South 

 India, has a white spot where tamilana has it blue), pammon and 

 liomedon (with white markings on the hind-wing), &c., &c. These 

 Papilios always rest with their wings spread. Others, such as P. 

 telephus, sarpedon, nomius, agamemnon, &c., always rest with the wings 

 closed over their backs. 



Has any explanation ever been offered as to the meaning or use of 

 the anal black, often silver- or orange-centred spots on the hind-wings 

 of some LyccenidcB? Or have you ever looked at them yourself? 

 Put a "blue" having such spots {Virachola, Camena, Ops, Creon, 

 Arhopala, &c.) on a leaf or surface in its natural position, with the 

 wings closed over the back ; the black spots then come into juxtaposi- 

 tion with a flimsy tail to each one, which moves in the tiniest breeze. 

 Looking one day at a " blue " on a leaf in the jungle, I took the spots 

 for the head of a llantis ! And, as if the resemblance were not strong 

 enough when at rest, the movement so common among LyccsnidcB of 

 the hind-wings one on another (as if the butterfly were rubbing them 

 together gently) gave the " Ji«?2^is-head " the appearance of moving 

 from side to side. It was very quaint. And it struck me forcibly 

 that it would do well to frighten small insects, ants, &c. Or perhaps 

 birds and lizards would take it for a Mantis and thus get the ends of 

 the wings instead of the Lyccenid's body ? 



But there is no end to this sort of observation ; one might go on 

 for ever at it. 



May, 1906. 



