THE GENERA OF BRITISH MOTHS, a 
PLATE III. 
No. 1.—The Oleander Hawk-Moth (Cherocaiupa Nerii). | No. 6.—The Caterpillar of the Humming-Bird Hawk-Moth. 
No. 2.—The Caterpillar of the Oleander Hawk-Moth. No, 7.—The Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-Moth (Sesia Bom- 
No. 3.—The Small Elephant Hawk-Moth (Cherocampa Pov- byliformis). 
cellus). No. 8.—The Green Forester (Procris Statices). 
No. 4.—The Caterpillar of the Small Elephant Hawk-Moth. No. 9.—The Six-spot Burnet-Moth (Anthrocera Filipendule), 
No. 5.—The Humming-Bird Moth (Macroglossu Stellatarvwm). No. 10.—The Caterpillar of the Six-spot Burnet-Moth. 
Tue genus Cherocampa (from the Greek words choiros, a hog, and kaimpe, a caterpillar) has been formed 
of a small section of the Sphingida, the Caterpillars of which have their three foremost sections narrowing in a 
nearly even line from the shoulder, like the head and snout of the hog. They have also the power of drawing in 
or extending those segments, from which some of them have received their popular English name of Elephant 
Hawk-Moth. The dorsal horn is much shorter in this group, and in some species nearly obsolete. 
No. 1, Plate 8, Cherocampa Nerii, is the Oleander Hawk-Moth. It has only recently been found to 
be a native of these islands, and its capture rarely occurs. In the south of France, however, and, in some years, 
even in the northern provinces of Central Europe, it is very abundant. The Caterpillar (No. 2, Plate 3) appears 
in the autumn, and feeds on the Rose-bay (Nerium Oleander), where that plant is common, but in England upon 
the lesser Periwinkle, a plant of the same family. This insect is found both in Africa and Asia. 
No. 3, Plate 8, is C. Poreellus, the Lesser Elephant Hawk-Moth. The Caterpillar (No. 4) forms a very 
good type of those larvee, upon the forms of which this genus has been based. The three first segments have the 
character above described, and the fourth and fifth, or legless segments, are distinguished by eye-like marks, not 
found in that position on any allied class of Caterpillars. In this they are distinct from the species which stands 
at the head of the genus, which has this oced/us on the third segment, for which reason some have thought of 
making it the type of a separate genns. The Caterpillar of the Lesser Elephant Hawk-Moth feeds on different 
kinds of Galiumn. 
C. Elpenov, the Greater Elephant Hawk-Moth resembles the Lesser, both in its larva and perfect states, but 
is about one-third larger. The fore wings are marked with brown and dull pink, instead of buff and olive, like 
the Lesser species, and the hind wings with rich pink and black. The Caterpillar is hardly distinguishable from 
the one above described, except from its superior size. It feeds, in preference, on the common Epilobiwi. 
The last species, Cheerocumpa Celerio, the Silver Streaked Hawk-Moth, is of similar character, but the 
Caterpillar is much larger, and has the dorsal horn more defined than in the two last species. The wings of the 
perfect insect differ in being longer and sharper—fitted for that celerity of flight which suggested its specific 
name, celerio ; they are of a brown colour, with pearl-white streaks, from which it takes its popular name. The 
hind wings are buff, flushed with pink, and having two stripes of deep brown or black. It feeds on the Galium. 
The next genus, Macroglossa, only contains one British species. It is distinguished from the preceding 
genera by being distinctly a daylight instead of a twilight or night-flyer, and by its tufted tail. The Caterpillar, 
however, has the true Sphinx character of the dorsal horn. 
No. 5, Plate 8, is Macroglossa Stellatarum, the Humming-Bird Hawk-Moth, the popular name being 
suggested by the loud humming noise which it makes while hovering over flowers or other objects. The Cater- 
pillar (No. 6), it will be observed, has the family feature, the dorsal horn, well defined. 
We come now to the genus Sesia, by some made a separate family, the Sesiide, but by others joined to 
the Sphingide, to which family, from the existence of the remarkable feature of the caudal horn in the Caterpillar 
stage, and the form of the wings in the perfect state, together with the thickened extremities of the antenna, it 
is evidently closely allied. 
