The common occurrence of the caterpillars of the Death's- 

 head Moth during the last 2 or 3 years has been universally 

 noticed, and various accounts have appeared in our journals 

 describing their size and beauty ; but so many of them perish 

 in the chrysalis, that the moth was less abundant. The beau- 

 tiful male in the plate was presented by my valued and sincere 

 friend Moses Haughton, Esq. : it is much smaller than many 

 females, some of which are nearly 6 inches when expanded, 

 being the largest of European insects. The caterpillars feed 

 upon the flowers and leaves of the Potatoe and upon the Jas- 

 mine, and it is also said upon the Hemp, Elder, and Woody 

 Nightshade (pi. 102); concealing themselves during the day 

 beneath the leaves and under the ground, and coming out 

 only in the evening to feed, by which means they are protected 

 from the piercing rays of the sun and from the attacks of the 

 Ichnewnonidcc : towards the end of summer (especially in Sep- 

 tember) they are full fed, when they bury themselves and be- 

 come pupae. One of these, which I had in my hand just before 

 the moth hatched, ejected some moisture from 2 long spira- 

 culae over the anterior scales of the thorax, through which it 

 appeared to breathe; and when this magnificent insect burst 

 into life, its antennae and limbs were enveloped in a fine mem- 

 brane resembling tissue-paper, which prevented them from 

 adhering, and dropped off as they imfolded : the wings, as 

 usual, were not larger than one's nail, but he speedily placed 

 himself so that they hung down, by which means the vessels 

 were immediately injected with fluid or air, and in 2 hours 

 they were perfectly expanded. 



The moths are found in September, but more generally in 

 October : they are not easily injured, and from the peculiar 

 sound they emit (faintly resembling the squeaking of a mouse, 

 and probably performed by the palpi from the curious struc- 

 ture on the internal side of the 2nd joint), as well as from the 

 death's head upon the thorax, they were formerly looked upon 

 as "the messengers of pestilence and of death." They are 

 sometimes found in houses and upon the trunks of trees ; and 

 in Mr. Hatchet's fine collection are several specimens that 

 were captured in a very singular way : — a vessel was lying at 

 anchor off' the coast of Devon, when a number of these Sphinges 

 came to a lanthorn on board, and about a dozen of them were 

 knocked down by the sailors. 



I have scarcely room to add, that the velvety clothing, the 

 shortness of the proboscis of our insect (which in Sphinx is as 

 long as the body), and the different character of the caterpillar, 

 particularly the tail, fully bear out Ochsenheimer in establish- 

 ing it as a genus ; and we are surprised it has not been more 

 generally adopted. 



