22 Transactions of the 



MEETING, May 20, 1870. 



Mk. Barrington Ward in the Chair. 



A paper was read by W. Claxton on the ' Hawk Moths,' of 

 which the following are extracts : — 



' The general types by which they may be recognised are the 

 long pointed wings, which are most readily observable in the 

 larger species, since in the smaller kinds the wings are not so 

 pointed ; the robustness of the body or abdomen, and the ex- 

 traordinary length of the spiral tongue, which, in the larger 

 members of this family, is equal to the length of the abdomen — 

 with one remarkable exception — the Death's Head {Acherontia, 

 atropos), the tongiie of which is only as long as the head, 

 though the moth itself is the largest of British insects. The 

 greater number of Hawk Moths fly in the dusk of summer 

 evenings. . . . The total number of moths belonging to the 

 faoiily which we are considering is sixteen, if we omit the 

 Burnets and Clear Wings ; though, by some authorities, this 

 number is increased by the addition of specimens, which are 

 almost unique, having probably flown over from the con- 

 tinent, a voyage which these insects are quite capable of 

 undertaking, and often carry out. . . . There has been a 

 great diversity of opinion as to the manner in which this 

 squeaking sound (made by the Death's Head) is produced. 

 Reaumiir occupied himself very assiduously in endeavouring 

 to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion on the subject, and at 

 last decided that it proceeded from the mouth. The insect, 

 in common with other moths, has two short feelers or palpi 

 in front of its head, and between these is situated the trunk 

 or tongue. Reaumiir thought that it rubbed the trunk 

 against the feelers, and that the squeaking proceeded from 

 this friction. He straightened out the curved proboscis with 

 a large pin, and as often as he did so the squeaking ceased, 

 and was renewed again directly he allowed the proboscis to 

 resume its usual position. He next separated the feelers 

 widely, so that they could not touch the proboscis, and this 

 also stopped the sound ; he then cut off one of the feelers, 

 and the sound was scarcely audible. Other entomologists 

 have held diff'erent views, and I do not know whether the 

 question is settled yet. This insect varies in size from four 

 to nearly six inches in the exjjanse of the wings.' 



At the conclusion of his paper, the writer warned the 

 younger entomological members against the practice of buj/- 



