34 Lloyd's natural ihstory. 



as observed by Mr. Melhuish on the coast of Brittany, may 

 be found in Stainton's " Manual of British Butterflies and 

 Moths," i., pp. 92-94. In Germany it often feeds on 

 Euphorbia in the most exposed situations, such as by the 

 side of footpaths, or along the edges of corn-fields. Highly 

 conspicuous larvae are sometimes regarded as exhibiting the 

 phenomenon known as "warning colours." It is suggested 

 that they act like a red flag to warn insect-eating animals that 

 such larvae are inedible. If so, the more exposed and con- 

 spicuous such larvae became, the more it would be to their 

 advantage. 



Several South European and Mediterranean species of 

 Dilephila feed on different kinds of Euphorbia^ including one 

 of the largest species of the genus, D. nicaia (De Prunner), 

 which is closely allied to D. euphorbice^ but is almost twice the 

 size, measuring nearly four inches in expanse. 



We have figured two South European species of this 

 interesting genus. 



DILEPHILA HIPPOPHAES. 



{Plate CIL, Fig. 3) 



Sphinx hippophaes, Esper, Schmett., ii. (2), p. 6, Taf. t,^, 



figs. 1-3 (1789); Hiibner, Eur. Schmett., ii., fig. 109 



(1803?); Ochsenheimer, Schmett. Eur., ii., p. 221 



(1808); Godart, Lepid. France, iii., p. 173, pi. 17 bis 



(1822). 

 Sphinx amelia, Fonscolombe, Bull. Sci. Nat., ii., p. 162 



(1827). 

 Deilephila ccmelia, Duponchel, Lepid. France, Suppl., ii., p. n, 



pi. I, fig. 2 (1835). 

 Deilephila hippopiiaes, Boisduval, Spec. Gen. Lepid. Heter., i., 



p. 159 (1875) ; Kirby, Eur, Butterflies and Moths, p. 69 



(1879). 



