42 DEATH'S HEAD MOTH. 



the skull-like marking on its back, partly from the 

 singular sound or cry which it has the power of giving 

 forth ; and early in the present century, in Campbell's 

 ' Travels in South Africa,' it is stated that the moths 

 steal honey, . . . "which the Hottentots observing, 

 in order to monopolise the honey of the wild bees, have 

 persuaded the colonists that it inflicts a mortal wound." 



This beautiful moth is from four to over five inches in 

 the spread of the wings ; the fore wings of a rich brown 

 varied with yellowish or rusty tints, and with black 

 towards the base; also with various transverse black 

 wavy lines, a whitish spot near the centre, and whitish 

 wavy bars past the middle of the wings, which are like- 

 wise sprinkled or irrorated with white. The hinder 

 wings are of a tawny orange, with two black bands 

 running parallel to the hinder edge, the widest of these 

 being nearest the edge of the wing. The head is deep 

 brown or black, as is also the body between the wings, 

 which in its velvety down has yellow or pale markings 

 resembling the shape of a skull. The abdomen is striped 

 alternately with tawny yellow and black on each segment, 

 and has a bluish line down the middle. 



The caterpillar, which grows to four or five inches in 

 length, is of various shades of colour, usually reddish at 

 first, and afterwards yellow or greenish yellow, with 

 small black warts on the back, and seven stripes placed 

 slantwise on each side with the upper end pointing 

 backwards. These are blue, white, and purple in the 

 centre. The horn at the tail is turned down and 

 tubercled. The colour of the caterpillar differs with age 

 and condition, and there is a variety of a mottled brown 

 colour, which I have once seen, which is very handsome. 

 Mr. Bairstow mentions of the South African caterpillar 

 " it is variable, but most commonly brownish." It is also 

 variable in its food-plants, which include potato 

 leafage; also they are found in Europe on jasmine, 

 Datura and Bignonea catalpa. Mr. Bairstow mentions 

 it as being injurious where he has observed it, in 

 East Province, S. A., to the leafage of vines, or, to use 



