22 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



September. Three broods have been obtained in one year, but 

 this is exceptional and under a forcing method of treatment. 

 The early stages are figured on Plate 4. This is certainly 

 the commonest of our Hawk-moths, and it seems to occur 

 throughout our islands, except that in Scotland it is not 

 recorded further north than Sutherland and Ross. Wherever 

 there are poplars, sallows, or willows, there too most probably 

 will be this caterpillar in its season ; the moth also will be 

 almost certainly seen by any one who may care to keep an 

 eye on the stems of poplars or adjacent fences at the right 

 time. Sometimes the insect will introduce itself to the house- 

 hold, after lighting-up time, much to the alarm of those who, 

 not aware of the harmless character of their visitor, look upon 

 it with considerable suspicion. 



Distribution abroad — Europe (except the polar regions and 

 Greece), Armenia and the Altai. 



The Eyed Hawk-moth {Rmermthus ocellatus). 



Except that there is sometimes an absence of rosy tinge on 

 the fore wings, and that the brownish markings may be lighter 

 or darker, this species does not depart very greatly from the 

 typical form shown on Plate 7. 



Cross pairings between the Eyed-hawk and the Poplar-hawk 

 are not altogether difficult to obtain, but the female/^///// pairs 

 more readily with male ocellatus than the female of the last 

 named species will with the male of popiiU. Very few such 

 cross pairings have been noted in a wild state, but several 

 cases of the kind are known to have occurred in captivity. The 

 results are hybrid moths, and these have some of the characters 

 of each parent, and have received distinctive names. Thus the 

 offspring of ocellatus J X populi ? are the hybridus, Steph., 

 whilst that of populi i X ocellatus ? are referable to invcrsa, 

 Tutt. 



