252 CHAPTER XXXIV. 



the middle of the month the wild Anemone (A. 

 corouaria) and the Snowflake (Leucojum) appear in 

 favourable seasons : in the last week we have 

 coronitta Emerus. Hepatica, and the beautiful Lamtera 

 maritima on the rocks close by the sea. Crocus, 

 Orchis, Iris, Cytisus, Polygala, Biscutella, Honey- 

 suckle (Lonicera), and many others often flower in 

 January ; and on warm days through the Winter one 

 sometimes sees the Red Admiral ( V. A talanta), the 

 Cabbage White (P. Brassicce), and the Humming 

 Bird Moth (M. Stellatarum, Fig. 91). The great 

 blue-black Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa, Fig. 93) often 

 appears before the month is out ; and on one occasion 

 we took the gorgeous Cleopatra on Mount Vinaigrier 

 as early as January 28th. The insect appeared much 

 too fresh for a hibernated specimen. 



The Humming Bird Moth just mentioned is 

 commoner here than any other Sphinx. The French 

 name of the insect is Porcelaine. It sucks honey 

 without perching, and has the swift flight peculiar to 

 its family, but it is not crepuscular, it flies in the full 

 sun like a bee or a butterfly. Stellatarum constantly 

 hibernates, coming into the house for shelter. They 

 hide in all sorts of places, and appear on the window 

 pane when warmer weather wakes them up again. I 

 have heard a furious buzzing under my pillow, and 

 found a Humming Bird Moth with his wings rubbed 

 quite bare from struggling to get free. He knows 

 quite well that frost and cold do not last long out 

 here, so he does not think of allowing himself to be 

 extinguished, but " when gloomy Winter has put 

 forth his squalid countenance," he finds some 

 sheltered corner and waits till it is over. 



