CONVOLVULUS AND PRIVET MOTHS. 305 



(reaching often to an extension of four inches and a half), and 

 to the exquisitely varied yet sober pencilling, black on a 

 ground of ashy grey, wherewith these ample pinions are 

 elaborately adorned. The body-colouring of this fine insect 

 is of a gayer description, being composed of alternate stripes 

 of black and rose-colour ; and on the shoulders or what, in 

 entomological phrase, is termed the thorax is a singular black 

 badge, resembling a horse-shoe. This thorax, as well as the 

 body, is of bulk proportioned to the powerful wings which 

 have to transport or uphold it in suspension; while the 

 massive head, large projecting eyes dark by day and lumi- 

 nous by night the broad, straight, rigid horns or antennae, 

 and the trunk or sucker, when uncoiled of prodigious length, 

 are all in accordance with its elephantine character among the 

 race of moths. The Convolvulus sphinx, though not very 

 common, is said to be well distributed through Britain. In 

 one September we met with two specimens at Hornsey. 



The hawk moth of the Privet,'* can boast dimensions, both 

 of wing and body, but little inferior to his cousin of the Con- 

 volvulus. In richness of colouring he greatly excels him, inas- 

 much as the prevailing grey of his upper wings is contrasted 

 in the lower by a fine rose-colour, laced with black bars ; the 

 body, likewise, being banded with black and deep rose or 

 purple. 



Of a different genus,t and of size very much inferior to the 



* Sphinx li^stri. t Macroglossa. 



