HAWK-MOTHS. 35 
which it is quite welcome. The moth may often be seen at 
dusk flying from flower to flower. It resembles in its flight 
a humming-bird, especially if it hovers over some flower and 
pushes its long tongue into the same to extract the sweet 
nectar found in it. The humming-sound, similar to that 
produced by the flight of a humming-bird, is produced by 
the rapid motion of the wings. 
The ground-color of the fore-wings of this hawk-moth is 
a rich greenish-olive, with a pale-buff stripe or bar extend- 
ing along the middle of the wing from the base to near the 
tip; along the outer margin there is another band nearly 
equal in width, but of a grayish color; the veins are mar- 
gined with white. The hind-wings, which are quite small, 
are of a roseate color, and are marked above and below by 
an almost black band; the lower margin is fringed with 
white. On the body there is a line of white on each side, 
extending from the head to the base of the thorax, where it 
unites with another line of the same color, which extends 
down the middle, and dividing, sends a branch to each side. 
The greenish-olive abdomen has interrupted bands of white 
and black, as shown in the illustration Fig. 36, Plate VI. 
The wings of this fine moth expand about three inches and 
a half. 
This insect is double brooded in Minnesota, appearing 
on the wing in June and again in September. It seems as if 
an attempt was made to produce still another brood, as not 
infrequently the moths are found very late; Sept. 28 and 
Oct. 14 are dates of late captures. 
This moth has a very wide geographical range, being 
not alone found throughout the United States, but also in 
Canada, West Indies, Mexico and Southern Europe, where 
it is called (D. Jivornia). Its caterpillar is a rather general 
feeder, having been tound upon the grape, apple, water- 
melon, buckwheat, turnip and purslane; the latter is the 
plant preferred, however. It is not uncommonly found as 
late as September, even up to frost. When mature, the 
