HEXAPODA: LEPIDOPTERA OR BUTTERFLIES, ETC. 309 



The Butterflies of North America are numerous, and 

 many of them are exceedingly beautiful, as any one may 

 see by examining them, or the splendidly illustrated 

 works of Edwards, and those of Scudder, as well as the 

 illustrations of our butterflies in foreign works. A few 

 of the common forms are shown in Figs. 392-395. 



Of the Moths we have room only to mention the Sphin- 

 ges or Hawk-Moths, and a few of the broad-winged 

 moths. The Hawk-Moths or Sphingidae are mostly very 

 large lepidopters, and the wings are long and compara- 

 tively narrow. These moths fly with great rapidity, and 

 with few exceptions they visit the flowers to secure honey 

 in the morning and evening twilight ; and as they balance 

 themselves before the petunias and other flowers, by the 

 rapid movements of their wings, they may easily be mis- 

 taken for humming-birds. Their tongue is exceedingly 

 long in some cases five or six inches (Fig. 399). The 

 caterpillars of these moths are very large, and they assume 

 curious attitudes. Supporting themselves on their hind 

 legs, they elevate the forward part of the body, and re- 

 main for hours in this sphinx-like position (Fig. 397). 



FIG. 396. 



Clear-winged Sphinx, Sesia thysbe, Fabricius. 



Some kinds of sphinges as /Sesia have their wings 

 transparent. 



