HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



195 



the laurel and laurustinus also, but this is question- 

 able. Though there is some difference in the tint 

 of the stripes in the two caterpillars, and also in 

 the ground-colour, we are at once enabled to see 

 " who's who " when we examine their horns. The 

 Eyed Hawk exhibits one which is decidedly blue, 

 the Poplar Hawk caterpillar has at its tail one of a 

 yellow colour, inclining to red. The year 1870 fur- 

 nished our entomological collections with a number 

 of specimens of a Hawk-moth usually of great 

 scarcity. This is the Bedstraw-hawk {Deilepliila 

 galli), and which, for some reason known to itself, 

 seems, while in the caterpillar state, to prefer to 

 feast upon this plant when it grows near the coast. 

 This caterpillar is so liable to vary, that as many as 

 sixteen different varieties of it have been enume- 

 rated. The ground-colour is sometimes olive, in 

 other examples black, varying in shade in different 

 parts, and having spots distributed over it with 

 more or less regularity. Oue of the most remark- 

 able peculiarities in the appearance of this rarity is, 

 that after the last change of skin nearly the whole 

 surface has a polished appearance. The horn, 

 which it bears like its brethren, is deep red, and 

 partly transparent. Allied to this species, and also 

 of scarce occurrence, is the Spurge Hawk (D. eu- 

 phorbia') and the Striped Hawk (D. livornica). 

 There are other horned caterpillars in this family of 

 moths, which we must pass over, noticing next the 

 caterpillar of the Humming-bird Hawk (Macroglossa 

 stellatarurti) . The moth may be seen even in the 

 vicinity of towns at different dates in spring, sum- 

 mer, and autumn, flying by day or at the twilight 

 hour, rarely in the darkness of night. Hovering 

 over the blossoms with a sonorous hum, its eyes 

 sparkling as it inserts its trunk to obtain the honeyed 

 treasure it seeks, then dashing off with rapid wing 

 at a rate which puts its capture out of the ques- 

 tion. The Humming-bird Hawk deserves to be 

 ranked amongst the liveliest of its tribe. Not a 

 few stories which have been circulated regarding 

 the appearance of real exotic humming-birds in 

 our islands have originated with those who have 

 watched the aerial manoeuvres of this insect. The 

 caterpillar feeds in the summer on some of the 

 Bedstraws (Galium spec), and suffers at times con- 

 siderably through the sudden drying down of its 

 food-plants, in consequence of dry or hot weather. 

 When the supply of leaves fails, it proceeds to 

 devour the fruits and stems of the plant, and, if 

 the season is favourable, grows with great rapidity. 

 This caterpillar is small compared with its brethren, 

 brownish, tinged with white aud blue, with a horn 

 thin and sharp-pointed. It does not descend far 

 iuto the earth to undergo the change into the chry- 

 salis state, probably because this usually lasts only 

 for a few weeks. Then, again, the caterpillar of 

 the Elephant Hawk [Chmocampa Elpenor) distin- 

 guishes itself by exhibiting the most beautiful eye- 



like spots on the sides near the head. The front 

 segments of the body are attenuated, and from this 

 peculiarity the creature was supposed to resemble 

 the trunk of an elephant. The horn is thick and 

 blunt. In gardens we find individuals of this 

 species feeding sometimes on vine or fuchsia ; in the 

 open country they seem to prefer the willow-herbs. 

 All families have aberrant individuals, and the 

 Small Elephant (C. porcellus), unlike others of the 

 Hawk-moths, has a caterpillar which is hornless. 

 Proceeding to a very different family of moths, 

 forming part of what were formerly called the 

 Bombyces, we come again upon horned caterpillars, 

 and here we have the horns going in pairs. Con- 

 spicuous amongst these is the historic Puss Moth 

 (Dicranura vinula), whose portrait Isaak Walton 

 painted so long ago in his " Angler." Many a time 

 had he seen this caterpillar feeding on the willows 

 which overhung the pleasant Lea in Hertfordshire, 

 where I have myself frequently captured it. Here 

 the horns come in the place of the last pair of legs 

 or claspers, being placed at the extremity of the 

 body. As the caterpillar crawls along, they are 

 raised into a perpendicular position. At those 

 times when it is reposing, it holds firmly by the 

 eight claspers, and raises the head also in the air. 

 But at an early age the horns are extended flat, and 

 brought close together when it is not feeding, and 

 being then dingy in colour, the caterpillar looks 

 exceedingly like a black cat in miniature, watching, 

 with extended body, to pounce upon some prey. 

 Some account of this insect will be found in the 

 volume for 1870, pp. 105, 124 ; and to what is there 

 stated I would only further append my own doubts 

 as to whether the inner horns or tentacula have any 

 efficacy in the driving off of ichneumonideons para- 

 sites ; and, also, that in the adult caterpillar, the 

 force with which it can eject the pungent fluid from 

 the head is very noticeable, and the seeming (at 

 least) accuracy with which it directs this to the eye 

 of the entomologist or to some sensitive part. By 

 means of this, too, the moth is subsequently enabled 

 to release itself from the hard cocoon in which the 

 chrysalis was encased. Three other species, allied 

 to the Puss Moth, are called the Kittens ; these are 

 smaller and less common, — one, indeed, being ex- 

 ceedingly rare. In their structure they are alike. 



Probably the Lobster caterpillar, which pro- 

 duces the moth scientifically called Staicropus fagi, 

 is the most unique in form of all our British species, 

 though not of large size. The second and third 

 pair of legs are singularly and, as we might think, 

 unnaturally enlarged, and along the back is arranged 

 a series of twelve humps : at the extremity of the 

 body are two horns, which are rigid and slightly 

 curved. These do not possess inner horns or fila- 

 ments. This caterpillar feeds on oak, and other 

 trees in the autumn. Early in the spring, occurring 

 principally in the woods of Bannock, flies the 



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