2C4 ZOOLOGY. [Part II. 



may even be beneficial in preserving the elasticity of its 

 thin and clehcate wings, that bend and undulate in the act 

 of flight. 



The Lyccenidce \ a particularly attractive group, abound 

 near the enclosiu'es of cultivated grounds, and amongst the 

 low shrubs edging the patenas, flitting from flower to 

 flower, inspecting each in turn, and as if attracted by 

 their beauty, in the full blaze of sun-hght ; and shunning 

 exposure less sedulously than the other diurnals. Some 

 of the more robust kinds ^ are magnificent in the 

 bright light, from the splendour of their metaUic blues 

 and glowing purples, but they yield in elegance of form 

 and variety to their tinier and more dehcately-colom^ed 

 congeners. 



Short as is the eastern twilight, it has its own peculiar 

 forms, and the naturahst marks with interest the small, 

 but strong, Hesperiidce^, hurrying, by abrupt and jerk- 

 ing flights, to the scented blossoms of the champac or 

 the sweet night-blowing moon-flower ; and, when dark- 

 ness gathers around, we can hear, though hardly distin- 

 guish amid the -gloom, the humming of the powerful 

 wings of innumerable hawk moths, which hover with their 

 long proboscides inserted into the starry petals of the peri- 

 winkle. 



Conspicuous amidst these nocturnal moths is the richly- 

 coloured Acherontia Satanas, one of the Singhalese repre- 

 sentatives of our Death's head moth, which utters a 

 sharp and stridulous cry when seized. This sound has 

 been variously conjectured to be produced by the friction 

 of its thorax against the abdomen, and Eeauinur beheved 

 it to be caused by rubbing the palpi against the tongue. 

 I have never been able to observe either motion, and Mr. 

 E. L. Layard is of opinion that the sound is emitted 

 from two apertures concealed by tufts of wiry bristles 



1 Lycfma jwh/ommatus, Sfc. 1 ^ Pampliila hesperia, 6J-e. 



^ Ambli/podiu pseuchcentaurus, (^'e. | 



