5200 THE SPHINX. 



osity to draw out one of the oval cases which 

 the Silk- Worm spins, into all the silken 

 wire it was made up of, which to the great 

 wonder as well of her husband as herself, ap- 

 peared to be by measure a great deal above 

 three hundred yards, and yet weighed but two 

 grains and a half 



Sphixx. 



This is one of the largest and most beau- 

 tiful of European insects. The upper wings 

 are of a fine dark grey colour, with a few 

 slight variegations of dull orange and white ; 

 the under wings are of a bright orange co- 

 lour, marked by a hair of transverse black 

 bands ; the body is also orange-coloured, 

 with the sides marked by black bars, while 

 along the top of the back, from the thorax 

 to the tail, runs a broad blue grey stripe : 

 on the top of the thorax is a very large 

 patch of a singular appearance, exactly re- 

 presenting the usual figure of a skull or 

 Death's head, and of a pale grey, varied 



