210 COMMON BlilTISH MOTHS 



of the soil at the foot of the same trees diirmg the autuinn, winter, 

 and spring montlis. 



The fore wings are ashy grey or greyish brown, marbled with 

 darker tints, with a conspicuous white spot near the centre. The 

 hind wings are similarly coloured except at the base, where there is 

 a large patch of brick-red. 



The caterpillar is rough, of a pale green colour dotted with yel- 

 low, with seven oblique yellow stripes on each side. The spiracles 

 are white, edged witii red ; and the horn is yellow on the upper, 

 and reddish on the imder side. Its chief food plants are the 

 poplar, the Lombardy poplar {Pojntlus pyramidalis), aspen 

 (P. tremula), and sallow [Salix Cajjvea and S. clnerea). 



The Lime Haivh {Smerinthus Tilue) 



This beautiful moth (fig. 5, Plate IX) is easily identified by its 

 rich olive green and brown wings, the fore pair of which have very 

 conspicuous patches of deep olive, sometimes uniting to form a 

 continuous central bar. It flies in May and June. 



The caterpillar is rough, of a pale gx'een colour, dotted with yel- 

 low, with seven oblique yellow stripes on each side. Thus it is very 

 hke the larva of Popali, but may be distinguished from that species 

 by the orange spiracles, and by the horn, which is rough, blue above, 

 and yellow beneath. Behind the horn, too, there is a fiat purple or 

 violet scale with an edging of orange. 



The food plants of this species are the lime {Tilia vulgaris), 

 elm {Vhmts camjiestris), and the hazel {Corylus Avellana), ivom 

 which the larvae may be beaten in^ August and September, and 

 ffom under these the pupae may be dug out during the winter 

 months. 



The Humming -Bird Hawk (Macroglosua StcUatariiiii) 



The genus to which this insect belongs contains tlii'ee interest- 

 mg British species. Their antennae are thickened toward the end, 

 but terminate in a small curved bristle. Their wings are rather 

 short and broad ; their bodies are very thick, terminating in a broad 

 tuft of hair; and the perfect insects fly dm-ing the daytime, 

 delighting in the hottest sunshine. The larvae feed principally on 

 low-growing plants, and undergo their metamorphoses on the ground 

 among tlie foliage. 



On Plate IX (,fig. 6) one of these pretty moths is shown. It is 



