182 CARIPI. Chap. V. 



bird hawk-moth instead of a bird. This moth (Macro- 

 glossa Titan) is somewhat smaller than humming- 

 birds generally are, but its manner of flight, and the 

 way it poises itself before a flower whilst probing it 

 with its proboscis are precisely like the same actions of 

 humming-birds. It was only after many days' ex- 

 perience that I learnt to distinguish one from the 

 other when on the wing. This resemblance has at- 

 tracted the notice of the natives, all of whom, even 

 educated whites, firmly believe that one is transmutable 

 into the other. They have observed the metamorphosis 

 of caterpillars into butterflies, and think it not at all 

 more wonderful that a moth should change into a 

 humming-bird. The resemblance between this hawk- 

 moth and a humming-bird is certainly very curious, 

 and strikes one even when both are examined in the 

 hand. Holding them sideways, the shape of the head 

 and position of the eyes in the moth are seen to be 

 nearly the same as in the bird, the extended proboscis 

 representing the long beak. At the tip of the moth's 

 body there is a brush of long hair-scales resembhng 

 feathers, which, being expanded, looks very much like 

 a bird's tail. But, of course, all these points of resem- 

 blance are merely superficial. The negroes and Indians 

 tried to convince me that the two were of the same 

 species. " Look at their feathers," they said ; " their 

 eyes are the same, and so are their tails." This belief 

 is so deeply rooted that it was useless to reason with 

 them on the sulyect. The Macroglossa moths are 

 found in most countries, and have everywhere the same 

 habits ; one well-known species is found in England. 



