Deilephila. 69 



with oblique ochre-yellow stripes, edged above with dark brown. It lives on the small bindweed, 

 the wild balsam, &c., in summer, and hides itself on or in the ground during the day. The 

 pupa is furnished with a long projecting convoluted sheath for the proboscis, which is longer in 

 this insect than in any other European species. The moth and larva are figured at PL 17, 

 Fig. 2, a, b. 



* 3. vS. Ligusiri (Linn.), {Privet Hawk-motli). — Fore-wings brown, broadly paler towards the 

 costa and hind margin, and with several short black longitudinal streaks in the middle. Hind- 

 wings pale pink, with three black transverse bands ; abdomen banded with black and rosy. 

 Expands from i\ to 4^ inches. Common in most parts of Europe, except the extreme north, 

 and in North Africa and Northern and Western Asia, from May to July. It is most frequently 

 observed in the larva state, and is therefore generally obtained by breeding from the larva, which 

 is green, with oblique white streaks on the sides beyond the 4th segment, which are edged with 

 lilac above. Its attitude in repose has been thought to resemble that of the Egyptian Sphinx, 

 and hence this name was first applied to the larva, then to the moth, and subsequentl)' to the 

 whole group of which it forms the type. It feeds on privet, lilac, ash, holly, &c., in autumn. 

 The tongue-sheath is attached to the pupa. This species is represented in all stages at 

 PI. 17, Fig. 3, a—c. 



GENUS III. — DEILEPHILA (OCHS.). 



Antenna; rather short, terminating in a bristle ; wings entire ; tongue much shorter than in 

 Sphinx ; abdomen thick, and diminishing rather suddenly to a point. The larvae are cylindrical, 

 with the first segments not retractile, and with pale spots on the sides. The pupae of this and the 

 following genus have no separate case for the proboscis. They are generally constructed on 

 the surface of the ground, between leaves loosely spun together, and the perfect insects sometimes 

 do not emerge till after they have passed two or even three winters in the pupa state. They are 

 not easily reared unless the pupje are forced. The genus Deilephila is found in all parts of the 

 world, but the species are not very numerous, and the greatest variety is perhaps to be met with 

 in Southern Europe. 



1. D. Vespertilio (Esp.). — Fore-wings unicolorous slaty-grey, with an indistinct darker line 

 running from the inner margin towards the tip ; hind-wings flesh-colour, black at the base, and 

 with a marginal black band, very narrowly bordered outside with flesh-colour. Abdomen with 

 black and white spots on the sides of the first segments. Expands from 2 to 2i inches. Inhabits 

 the southern slopes of the Alps and the shores of the Mediterranean in September ; and some- 

 times emerges from hybernated pupae in May and June. The larva is brownish-grey, or ash-- 

 grey, with reddish or whitish square spots on both sides of the back. It feeds on different species 

 o^ Epilobiujii from June to September. 



2. D. Hippophacs (Esp.). — Fore-wings pale grey, shading into dark olive -green on the costa ; 

 hind margin dark olive-green from the tip to the middle of the inner margin ; hind-wings rose- 

 colour, with the base black, and a black band before the hind margin. The thorax has a white 

 streak on each side, and the first segments of the abdomen are spotted with black and white on the 

 sides ; the hinder segments have no white margin. Expands from 2 to 2\ inches. Confined to 

 Europe south of the Alps, to the warm southern valleys of which its range extends. It is found at 

 the same seasons as D. Vespertilio, with which it is said occasionally to form h}'brids. The larva 

 is either silvery-grey, with an interrupted black stripe on the back, and black transverse streaks 

 spotted with red and yellow, or is green, with a whitish streak on the sides, and two yellowish 

 oblique stripes on the back, bej-ond the 4th segment. It lives in autumn on the sea-buckthorn ; 



