FLUTTERING—HELIOTROPISM 
539 
P. polytes, P. agamemnon (in which species the habit is very marked), 
P. demoleus, P. demodocus , P. dissimilis and P. Menus , f. mooreanus, 
Rothsch. 
I was much struck by specimens of the last-named in the forest 
at Hatton, Ceylon (March 5th, 1908), settled on very dark-grey rocks 
drinking, with their wings about three-quarters expanded, hut with 
the fore-wings drawn back so as almost entirely to conceal the con¬ 
spicuous cream-coloured spot on the hind-wings. For the moment 
I thought that there was before me some other species, entirely black 
on the upper side. 
P. sarpedon, Linn., f. teredon, Feld., and P. jason, Esp. (telephus, 
Feld.), do not flutter when drinking. 
The exceedingly slow flight of sundry day-dying and almost 
certainly distasteful moths is referred to in many places in the 
earlier chapters. 1 
§ 8. Heliotropism. 
Heliotropism, or the habit of turning towards the sun, is a 
phenomenon familiar to botanists. 
Professor G. H. Parker appears to have been the first (1903) to 
describe what he terms “Negative Heliotropism” in the case of 
Vanessa antiopa, Linn., in the United States. He clearly establishes 
that when this butterfly after a flight settles in full sunshine, it does 
so with wings fully expanded, and then speedily so adjusts its 
position as to place the axis of the body as near as may be parallel 
to the sun’s rays, with its head turned away from the sun. He 
records his numerous observations in great detail, and states that 
some species of the genus Qrapta have the same habit. The object 
of the creature thus turning its tail to the sun is, he believes, to 
display its colouring to the greatest advantage. 2 
Some time after the reading of my first paper dealing with the 
subject 3 Professor Poulton called my attention to the following in¬ 
teresting observation by Mr. E. E. Green :—“ Melanitis ismene is an 
adept at concealing itself. It usually pitches amongst fallen leaves 
where its form and coloration are sufficient concealment. But even 
on bare ground the insect is often extremely difficult to localize, 
1 See e.g. pp. 128, 195, 320, 391. 
2 Mark Anniversary Volume , Cambridge University, Mass., U.S.A., 1903, pp. 453- 
469. Prof. Parker gives a bibliography of the subject. I am indebted to Prof. 
E. B. Poulton, F.R.S., for this reference. 
3 Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond ., 1905, p. 136. Read, Dec. 7th, 1904. 
