THE SPHING2DM. 



105 



moreover, are short, thick, and terminated in a hooked bristle. 

 The head is large, and the abdomen very thick. The front 

 wings are blackish brown, with indistinct tawny markings and 

 a conspicuous yellowish dot near their centres ; the hind wings 

 are yellow and have a narrow black central and a broad black 

 marginal band. 



The moth possesses the power of squeaking, and this propensity 



^? 



THE DEATH S HEAD MOTH. 



has given an infinitude of trouble to philosophers, who have 

 formed many theories concerning the manner in which the sound 

 can be produced. This gift, combined with the sombre hues of 

 the sphinx, and the presence of the death's head upon its back, 

 have surrounded the moths with much mysterious dread, and there 

 are many people in the most civilised and learned countries in the 

 world that are heartily afraid of them. They are said to be a sign 

 of bad luck, and arc supposed to precede a death in the house ; 

 and they once produced a downright panic in Brittany. The squeak- 

 ing appears to be connected in some way or other with a small 



