82 The Irish Naturalist. June, 



brack, Loughlinstown, Foxrock, Rathfarnham (drowned in 

 a conservatory tank), Dundrum, Blackrock , Merrion, and 

 the Glasnevin Botanic Gardens (caught in one of the green- 

 houses), and a few were captured in city and suburban 

 roads. 



Further afield it was observed in Co. Donegal at Rath- 

 mullen and Greencastle, where Mr. A. R. Nichols caught one 

 in the porch of the Fort Hotel on the 2nd September. It 

 has already been recorded from the counties of Antrim and 

 Down by the Rev. W. F. Johnson.^ A number of large 

 hawk-moths which Mr. T. Greer believes were this species 

 were reported to him as having been common in gardens 

 at Cookstown in Co. Tyrone. It was also found at Killala 

 in Co. Mayo, and in a cornfield near Drogheda in Co. Louth. 



In the midlands, as Mr. Pack-Beresford tells me, many 

 specimens were seen near Athlone flying to the flowers of 

 Sweet-scented Tobacco [Nicotiana affinis), a plant which is 

 known to have great attractions for this moth. Mrs. M. E. 

 Morris writes that one was captured and several observed 

 in a garden at Bessborough in Co. Kilkenny. In the south 

 it visited the suburbs of Wexford town as well as Ennis- 

 corthy and Courtown in the same county. Mr. F. W. Keane 

 reports * that a specimen was caught hovering over tobacco 

 plants in a garden near Youghal in Co. Waterford. 



The earliest date of capture was loth August, but the 

 majority were taken during the last week of August and in 

 the early part of September, the latest date being the 6th 

 October. Most of the specimens were considerably the worse 

 for wear, though a few were in a good condition, notably 

 one found clinging to the window netting of Killiney Parish 

 Church by Mr. W. Rigby on the 26th August. 



The question has been asked : Were these hawk-moths 

 native bred or were they travellers engaged in a great 

 migration from warmer countries ? There can be little 

 doubt that for the great majority, if not all of them, the 

 latter is the true explanation of their occurrence. This 

 insect is of well-known migratory habits, and one need but 

 admire its large and powerful wings and trim-built body 



3 Irish Naturalist, xxvii., p. 12.. 

 * Irish Naturalist, xxvii., p. 52 



