THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 81 



have been tempted to put together a few rough, indiscriminate 

 notes and illustrations of some species that have come under my 

 observation during the last two years. 



The complete life-history of any species, if properly worked 

 out, would be almost enough for a paper ; but it has been my 

 object not to be too lengthy with any individual species, but 

 rather to illustrate the leading characteristics of as many as 

 possible in the time at my disposal. 



The illustrations, being my first attempt at slide painting, are 

 necessarily crude, but I trust they will serve to convey a better 

 idea of the various species than verbal description. 



The Diurni I propose to skip altogether, as I know several 

 members are now working at them, and hope the results may be 

 laid before the society shortly. Coming, then, to the moths, we 

 find that the Sessiidae, or " Clearwings," appear to be entirely 

 absent — a somewhat remarkable fact, which may be disproved 

 after further research. The species forming this group are 

 extremely interesting on account of being a link between those 

 insects with scaled wings and those with the wings clear; the 

 protective resemblance to various ferocious Hymenoptera is also 

 very curious. 



The Sphingidae, or Hawk Moths proper, are fairly well 

 represented, among them being the European Convolvuli, and the 

 beautiful Silver-striped Hawk Moth, Choerocampa celerio, so 

 prized by English collectors. 



The larvae of Sphinx convolvuli, as the name implies, feed upon 

 the wild convolvulus. Mr. Lyell, jun., our fellow member, was 

 fortunate enough to discover several specimens at Gisborne, and 

 very kindly sent me a pair for figuring. One of these was of a 

 bright green colour, with oblique violet stripes edged underneath 

 with white, and the horn on the terminal segment of a dull orange ; 

 the other was of a drab colour, with the markings darker. Mr. 

 Lyell found them at night time. 



The commonest of the Victorian Hawk Moths is Chcerocampa 

 scrofa, a neat-looking species, prominent round the electric lights 

 in town ; the larva? feed upon grass and low herbage in the 

 autumn, and both green and black forms may be found, being 

 easily recognised by the swollen appearance of the first three 

 segments, and the eye-like markings thereon. But the largest of 

 our Hawk Moths, measuring seven inches across the wings, is 

 Ccequosa triangularis, a species not very likely to be taken near 

 Melbourne, its range being more in the northern portions of the 

 colony. The larva is curious on account of the extraordinary 

 appearance of the last segments, which both in form and markings 

 greatly resemble the head of a lizard, the likeness being com- 

 pleted by the presence of two round, shiny, black projections, 

 like eyes. So complete, indeed, is the resemblance, and so 



