SPHINGES 



207 



or entirely devoured ; and beneath tlie Ijushes are the large black 

 masses of excrement that tell of the marauders above, AVheu 

 found, these larva? should always be removed on a piece of the 

 twig to which they are attached, for they hold on so firmly by 

 their claspers that it is sometimes almost impossible to remove 

 them from their hold without mjury. 



These caterpillars may easily be distinguished from those of 

 the other ' hawks ' by the seven oblique stripes which adorn the 

 sides. These are each composed of two colours, white and lilac, 

 and form a pretty contrast with the bright green of the rest of the 

 body. The horn is smooth and curved, and is black with the 

 exception of part of the imder side, which is yellow. 



They are fully grown in August, and from the end of this month 

 till the following .June the chrj^salides may be dug out from under 

 privet and lilac bushes, both of which are attacked by the larAa. 



Fig. 99. 



-The Cateepillar of 

 euphokbi,?-.. 



TJte Sjnirgc HaK'Jc {Deilepliila Eujihorhicp) 



This is a very rare British species ; in fact, it has never been 

 seen in this country in its perfect state, but the larva has been found 

 plentifully at Appledore and 

 Braunton Burrows, in North 

 Devon, feeding on the sea 

 spurge {Euphorhia Para- 

 lias). 



The perfect insect is shown 

 on Plate IX (fig. 2). 



The caterpillar is black, 

 with a large number of small 



yellowish white dots, and two rows of spots of the same colour on 

 each side. There is also a red line on each side, and another down 

 the middle of the back. The horn is rough and red with a black 

 tip. It feeds during August and September. 



The Small Eleiihant Hawh {Choerocav^pa Porcellus) 



This pretty insect is one of the smallest of our hawk moths. 

 It is widely distributed, being met with in many parts of England 

 and in the south of Scotland. It flies in June. 



The fore wings are of a dull yellow coloiir, with rosy-red 

 hind margins, and a broad border of the same tint on the costal 

 margin. The hind wings have also a I'osy-red hind margin. 



