HAWK-MOTHS. 29 
MOTHS. 
(Heterocera). 
FAMILY SPHINGIDAZ OR HAWK-MOTHS. 
Hawk-moths are easily recognized by the form of the 
body, wing and antenne. The body is very stout and 
spindle-shaped; the wings are long, narrow and very strong; 
the antennz are more or less thickened in the middle or 
towards the tip, which is frequently curved back in the form 
of a hook; rarely are the antennz pectinated. The tongue 
is usually very long, being in some instances twice as long 
as the body; but in one sub-family it is short and membran- 
ous. When not in use it is closely coiled like a watch-spring 
beneath the head. 
Hawk-moths, or Humming-bird moths, have obtained 
thesenanies from their habits of hovering about the flowers, 
and from their rapid and darting motions. Most of them 
appear just about dusk, flying about such deep flowers as 
the morning glories, primroses, petunias or others. By 
means of their unusually long tongues they are enabled to 
reach the very bottoms of these flowers in which are located 
the nectaries, taking this food while poised over the flower, 
and but rarely alighting. This attitude, and the whir of 
their powerful vibrating wings, gives them a strong resem- 
biance to humming-birds, which obtain the sweet food in a 
similar manner. Some of the smaller and clear-winged 
hawk-moths fly during the broad daylight. 
The caterpillars of the Sphingide are allexternal feeders, 
and have a cylindrical and naked body, usually with a horn 
near the end on the eight abdominal segment; in some cases 
this horn is replaced by a shining tubercle or knob. Many 
people are greatly afraid of such caterpillars, believing that 
they could inflict painful wounds with these horns, which 
