SPHINGID.E. 49 



line is blackened, or the black rings are extended into a 

 black bar, the spots cramped, and the head and second seg- 

 ment black, while in another form these last are entirely 

 pink. (Compiled, Buckler and others.) 



June and -July, on various plants, — Vine, Fitschia, Galium, 

 Rumcx — said to be polyphagous. 



Pupa rather long, regularly rounded, pale brown in colour, 

 and having a sharp anal spike. In a slight cocoon of bits of 

 vegetable refuse and earth held together by silk. July, but 

 probably in some cases lying unchanged through the winter. 



A swift and active species, erratic in its mode of flight, and 

 producing a humming noise. Exceedingly fond of the nectar of 

 flowers, particularly those of the Lilac, Scarlet geranium. 

 Marvel of Peru, Petunia, Rhododendron, and even visiting those 

 of Lychnis, Centrmithus, Narcissus, and Pcdictdaris. Flying in 

 the early twilight, and even at times by daylight. Not very rare 

 in this country in the imago state — though the larva is very 

 seldom observed — indeed, it is probable that a large proportion 

 of our specimens are immigrants, since the species passes freely 

 over wide extents of sea, and is often taken on shipboard. 

 One, now in the possession of Mr. R. McLachlan, was actually 

 seen to fly in from the sea to the shore near Folkestone, and 

 to drop fatigued upon the sand, where it was promptly 

 secured. By our earlier writers this species was looked upon 

 as a great rarity, but in the year 1860 about twenty were 

 taken in various parts of the countiy in the month of May ; 

 in 1862 others occurred; in 1868 about twenty, very widely 

 distributed, and mostly in the month of August ; in 1870, fifty 

 at least must have been secured, and their range included the 

 three kingdoms; others occurred in 1891 and 1892, and 

 there is little reason to think that it is now at any time totally 

 absent. It seems to have no especially favoured localities. 

 Cornwall was its ancient home, and there it is still occasionally 

 found as well as in Devon, and from these counties larvee have 

 been obtained. But records of the moth exist for almost 



VOL. II. D 



