Dr. Eltringhams Paper on the genus Heliconias. 151 



plesseni can be found intergrading with xenoclea there is 

 ground for supposing that the white-banded cydno could 

 possibly intergrade with heurippa, which is half red and 

 half yellow-banded, and even with melpomene itself. The 

 extreme rarity in some cases of white-banded Heliconine 

 forms in place of yellow-banded is a matter for future 

 investigation. H. telesiphe, clysonimus, and doris, the last 

 in both its red and blue form, very rarely occur with 

 white bands on the forewing, yet a species like antiochus 

 occurs white-banded over an immense area, and only in a 

 few restricted areas at a considerable elevation is it 

 yellow-banded. 



It seems possible that in this case a varying intensity of 

 light might account for the change, in just the same way 

 as many flowers, seemingly white, under the influence of 

 strong light develop a pink pigment. Such, for example, 

 as some kinds of roses and tulips, which will remain white 

 for some days before any colour appears and will even 

 remain white if the weather be dull without sun. 



The double spotting of xenoclea, plesseni, adonides and 

 niepelti, etc., might be looked upon as another phase of 

 the single spot of melpomene breaking up in just the same 

 way as is now known the thelxiope spotting is a breaking 

 up of the single spot. In erato also the same transitions 

 could easily be traced between the solid spot of magnified 

 and the intermediate semi-broken spot of calUste, cally- 

 copis, elimaea and udalrica. Forms of plesseni, notabilis, 

 xenoclea and microclea have been recorded and figured 

 where the spots were confluent, at once suggesting a mel- 

 po)ne)}c-Y\ke insect. 



In looking at the wonderful changes which both melpo- 

 >iti ne and erato are known can undergo, there are some 

 interesting comparisons to be made from fresh-caught 

 specimens and specimens of the same form that are some 

 years old. It is to be seen that in fresh examples of such 

 insects as feyeri, udalrica, a/ndremona, etc., the red mark- 

 ings are all uniformly brilliant. But after about two 

 years the red at the base of the forewing and the streaking 

 of the hindwing becomes brown-red, while the red of the 

 band or blotch of the forewing retains its brilliant colour 

 for some years longer. This no doubt indicates the 

 ancestral character of the forewing blotch and the much 

 more recent and less staple other red marks. 



In some cases an approach of one to another form may 



