UNICORN HAWK-MOTH. 143 



to rose-colour, the red bands margined with white 

 anteriorly, and there is a broad greyish stripe down 

 the back divided in the middle by a black line. 

 The antennae are whitish, as well as the under side 

 of the body, the latter having two black spots in 

 the middle of the belly. The expansion of the 

 wings is about four inches and a half. 



The caterpillar is very variable in colour and 

 markings. It is most commonly of a bright green, 

 (as represented on PL vi. fig. 2.), with black or 

 brown spots on the back, and oblique yellow stripes 

 on the sides; the latter, however, are sometimes 

 black, and examples are occasionally found in which 

 the whole body is brown. The stigmata are usually 

 of some colour contrasting with the rest of the 

 body ; most commonly they are black or pink. It 

 feeds on the indigenous species of convolvulus, 

 particularly C. Sepium. It generally assumes the 

 pupa state about the end of July, the moth appear- 

 ing in September ; but if the larva be not full 

 grown till a later period, the perfect insect is not 

 disclosed till the ensuing May or June. 



The Unicorn or Bindweed Hawk-moth, termed 

 by a French naturalist the Ox-horned Sphinx, on 

 account of the thickness and rigidity of its antennae, 

 is by no means an insect of common occurrence in 

 Britain, but it seems to be distributed over the 

 whole island. It has been found *in the northern 

 extremity of Scotland, as well as in several of the 

 southern counties, and numerous localities have 

 been cited for it in most parts of England. Godart 



