i9i8. Halbert— r/z5 Convolviilus Hawk-Moth. 83 



to realize its capacity for rapid and sustained flight. It is 

 not surprising to find that this moth has spread over a great 

 part of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and has even reached the 

 Austrahan region where it is represented by a variety differ- 

 ing shghtly from the typical form. It appears to be absent 

 from the American continent, but an allied species is recorded 

 from there. 



It has been argued that the fresh condition of many 

 of the British specimens is strong evidence in favour of 

 their having been reared in these countries. This does not 

 follow, however, for given fine weather and a favourable 

 wind such barriers as the North Sea and the Irish Sea offer 

 small obstacles to such an insect. 



Then if the moth breeds to any extent in these islands 

 one w^ould expect that the caterpillar and the pupa would 

 be more frequently observed ; as a matter of fact the records 

 of these early stages are noticeably few when compared with 

 the relative frequency of the moth. When Mr. C. G. Barrett^ 

 wrote of this species in 1895 he doubted if there were records 

 of the finding of twenty caterpillars in the British Isles. 

 Mr. J. W. Tutt,^ wTiting in 1904, gave a complete and in- 

 teresting list of about fifty occurrences, though none of 

 these refer to Ireland. 



With regard to the breeding of this moth in Ireland 

 Mr. W. F. de V. Kane" remarks "it appears probable that it 

 breeds in Ireland in fine seasons," but he does not 

 say if the caterpillar or pupa was actually found. There 

 is no doubt, however, that the insect occasionally 

 attempts to establish itself in this country, for the 

 caterpillar was found by Mr. T. Stawell at Mallow, Co. Cork, 

 during the summer of 1902, an occurrence which was recorded 

 by Professor G. H. Carpenter.^ The caterpillar seems diffi- 

 cult to rear successfully, and this one died before reaching 

 the pupal stage. A coloured drawing which I made at 

 the time shows that it belonged to the entirely green type 



5 " The Lepidoptera of the British Islands," vol. ii., p. 27. 

 ® " British Lepidoptera," vol. iv., p.343. 

 ' " A Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Ireland," 1901, p. 19. 

 ^ Irish Naturalist, xi., p. 46. 



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