Oct. 1, 1S6S.1 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



233 



ZOOLOGY. 



Sphinx convolvuli.— Just at the gloaming, in 

 the evening of the 29th of August, I had the 

 pleasure of seeing the beautiful and rare Unicorn 

 Hawk-moth. I was walking in my garden, when 

 suddenly 1 was aware of the presence of this fine 

 Sphinx, hovering round a large scarlet geranium, 

 against the individual flowers of which it hung in 

 air for about a second over each in succession, its 

 very long sucker inserted into the blossom, — so 

 long, indeed, that the head of the insect was fully 

 three inches away as it pumped up the grateful 

 nectar. It shot off from plant to plant along the 

 borders, rifling nearly every blossom ou each before 

 it tried another, manifestly preferring the petunias 

 and the zonal geraniums, though many other plants 

 were in flower. The insect remained under my 

 observation for a full quarter of an hour in different 

 quarters of the garden. It was so fearless, or so 

 engaged in its nectar-draughts, that by a little pre- 

 caution in my movements I could approach quite 

 close to it, and bring down my face to within a foot 

 from it, without at all disturbing it. I believe 

 I could have easily caught it in my hand if I had 

 really wanted it ; I did very nearly grasp if, though 

 only half in earnest. The end of my beauteous 

 visitor was tragi-comic. I was eagerly watching it 

 in the fading light, and admiring the bands of black 

 and red and white on the abdomen, which were 

 beautifully distinct and well defined, while the wings, 

 from their rapid vibration, were mere shapeless 

 clouds, when I saw that I was not the only ad- 

 mirer. A neighbour's cat was crouching under 

 a bush close by, following the moth with her eyes 

 as eagerly as I. Puss was stealthily creeping, 

 ventre a terre, closer and closer to the unsuspecting 

 prey, and though by voice and gesture I sought to 

 frighten her off, she pertinaciously returned. At 

 last I ceased, wishing to see the result ; and puss 

 made her spring, striking down the moth at my very 

 feet with the utmost ease, closing upon it at the same 

 instant, and carrying it off in her mouth behind the 

 shrubs. I presently pursued ; but in the deepening 

 dusk 1 could find no trace of the moth, while pussy 

 began to purr and to invite caresses, as cats often 

 do when they have caught a mouse, evidently think- 

 ing that she had performed a praiseworthy feat. It 

 was a rather ignoble fate for my noble insect visitor. 

 — P. H. Gosse, F.R.S., Sandhurst, Torquay, Sept. 1, 

 1S68. 



A Phenomenon.— The other day Mr. Jonathan 

 Eielding captured at Blackpool a specimen of the 

 common blue butterfly (Lyccena Alexis), showing 

 the distinguishing colour-features of both male and 

 female in the greatest perfection. The wings of the 

 female insect are of a dingy brown colour, with black 

 shades and reflections, and have on each six crescent- 



shaped orange spots parallel with the hind margin ; 

 those of the male are purplish blue, without any 

 spots or markings. The two right wings of the 

 insect referred to represent the male, and the two 

 left the female. It now forms one of a group in my 

 cabinet. — J. Thorpe, Middleton. 



Colias hyale and edtjsa. — I have seen eight or 

 ten specimens of Colias hyale this year, and only 

 remember having seen one some years since. Last 

 year I saw one specimen of Colias edusa, but have 

 seen none this season. — S. Smith, Wisbech. 



Painted Lady {Cynthia cardui). — This erratic 

 butterfly is very common this year. Numerous cor- 

 respondents from distant localities announce the 

 fact, to which may be added, that on one of the last 

 days of August we caught three at one sweep of the 

 net on the eastern coast. No, not the net, — it was 

 our hat, for we had no net with us. 



A Eeline Entomologist. — A few days ago, in 

 South Shields, in the county of Durham, a woman 

 observed her cat running along the house passage 

 with something in its mouth. On seeing this she 

 gave a stamp with her foot on the floor, and to her 

 astonishment the cat dropped out of its mouth a 

 large moth, Sphinx convolvuli. This is the only 

 specimen known to have been found in South 

 Shields. It is now in the possession of Mr, Thomas 

 Oates, chemist, of this town— Joseph Wright, South 

 Shields. 



Sphinx convolvuli.— A female specimen of this 

 moth was captured this morning in the neighbour- 

 hood of Darlington. The species is very rarely met 

 with in this part of the country. It measures 4£ 

 inches across the wings, and, with the exception of 

 a slight injury to the tips, is a perfect specimen. — 

 /. K., Darlington. 



Striped Hawk-moth. — Mr. John Taylor cap- 

 tured at rest on Sunday last a specimen of the 

 Striped Hawk-moth (Deilephila livornica). This 

 beautiful moth is a very rare visitor in this country. 

 Most of the specimens in our cabinets are conti- 

 nental ones. The above was exhibited alive in good 

 condition at the Middleton and Grange Entomo- 

 logical Society's monthly meeting, and consequently 

 is a British specimen. — John Thorpe, Church-street, 

 Middleton. 



Bare Insects.— The following rare insects have 

 been caught in the neighbourhood of Deal this 

 year :— Two specimens of that rare Hawk, Deilephila, 

 livornica (Striped Hawk-moth) ; one was caught fly- 

 ing over a chalky bank near Walmer Castle, and the 

 other in a potato field near Deal Castle. Two 

 specimens of the Queen of Spain Eritillary {Argy- 

 nisis lathonia) were caught between Deal and 

 Dover, and a third was seen near Deal. The pale 



