390 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



[lN«ErTfl, 



island numbers, as it would appear, pass that season 

 in a torpid condition, itistiing trum their retreats in 

 February or March, when the sun breaks forth 

 cheerl'ully, soon perhaps to be beclouded. Hence 

 the expression of Linnn'iis respeclinc this species — 

 " fallax veris indicium "' (a deceitful harbinger of 

 spring). 



Tlie red admiral (Vanessa Atalanta). Beautiful 

 is this butterfly, with its veUet-black wings broadly 

 banded with red, and relieved by white and blue, 

 lu all parts of our island it is very common, as well 

 as over Europe, and the districts of Africa bordering 

 the Mediterranean. 



The caterpillar of the red admiral (or admirable 

 of some wiiters) is solitary, spinous, and greenish, 

 with a lateral line of yellow spots. It feeds on the 

 nettle. 



Tlie peacock's-eye (Vanessa lo). The colour of 

 this well-known species is deep brownish red in- 

 clining to purple, with a large eye-like spot on each 

 wing above: beneath (as in the figure) the wings 

 are dark shining brown, traversed by tine undulating 

 lines of black. 



Fig. 8716 represents — 1, the silver-washed fritil- 

 lary (Argynnis Paphia) ; 2, the pearl-bordered like- 

 ness; 3, the silver-studded blue butterfly (Poly- i 

 ommatus Areus) ; 4, the small heath buttei-fly 

 (Hipparchia Pamphilus) ; 6, the Glanville fritillary 

 (Melitsna Cinxia) ; 6, the Duke of Burgundy fritil- 

 lary (Nemeobius Lucina) ; 7, the common copper 

 butterfly (Lycsena Phloeas). 



, The silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis Paphia). 

 This beautiful butterfly, sometimes called the great 

 fritillary, is generally spread over our island, ap- 

 pearing in June about the sides of woods, and flit- 

 ting on rapid wings. The upper surface of the 

 wings is of a bright orange-brown, with three rows 

 of black mareinal spots, and with several black 

 marks near the centre. The caterpillar is solitary, 

 feeding on the wild viola canina. the nettle, &c. : 

 it is tawny, with a yellow dorsal line, and beset with 

 hairy spires; two dark lines run along the sides. 



The pearl-bordered likeness (Melitaea Athalia). 

 This species, also termed the heath fritillary, is not 

 uncommon in the more southern parts of ingland, 

 and in Devonshire. It appears in .June, and is found 

 in the open glades of woods, and about heathy com- 

 mons. It is subject to several variations of colour- 

 ing, a circumstance which has led to some confusion 

 of names. One variety is the Papilio pyronia of 

 Hiibner. The ordinary colouring is orange above, 

 with undulatory lines of black. The caterpillar 

 feeds on the plantain and also on the common 

 heath. It is spiny, of a black colour, and spotted 

 with white. To this species is referable the Papilio 

 maturna of some authors. 



The silver-studded blue buttei-fly (Polyommatus 

 Argus), blue Argus. This elegant little butterfly is 

 not uncommon in the midland and southern dis- 

 tricts of England, flitting about in June, over clover 

 fields and ground where the broom grows abund- 

 antly, on which herbs the caterpillar feeds. The 

 male and female differ much in colourlne, the 

 former having the upper surface of the wings of a 

 deep blue, passinar into black round the hinder 

 margin, and bounded by a Irinee of white. The 

 winss of the female above are of a dull brownish 

 black, the anterior pair having a tawny margin. 



The small heath butterfly (Hipparchia Pamphi- 

 lus), golden heath-eye. This species is common 

 throughout the whole of our island, frequenting 

 short-grassed hills, upland pastures, and dry heathy 

 grounds, and appearing in June ; a second flight 

 occurs in September. 



The winsfs above are of a pale orange or ochre 

 yellow, with a fringe of long white hairs ; under- 

 neath, the fore-wings are clouded with ash-colour, 

 and have near the tip an ocellated spot of black 

 v?ith a white centre. The hinder wings below are 

 clouded with greenish brown and grey, with two 

 or three indistinct ocellated spots. 

 The Glanville fritillary (Melitaea Cinxia). 

 On the adjacent continent this species is abundant, 

 appearing in June ; but in England it must be con- 

 »idere<l as of rare occurrence, though it is found in 

 the Isle of Wight, on the hills about Dover, and 

 along those of our southern coast Its colour above 

 is orange-red, marbled and spotted abnve with 

 l)lack and yellowish; a row of black points runs 

 parallel with the posterior margin of the hinder 

 wings. The colour of the wings is paler below than 

 above. 



The caterpillar is black, dotted with white, and 

 with the head and pro-legs red ; it is gregarious in 

 its habits. 



The Duke of Burgundy fritillary (Nemeobius Lu- 

 cina), small fritillary. 



This species is rare in our island, or rather, 

 perhaps, local in its distribution, being chiefly con- 

 fined to the south-eastern counties, appearing about 

 the middle of May. The wings are dark-brown, the 

 anterior pair having three transverse bars of irregular 

 pale yellow spots, the marginal series beitjg dotted 



in the centre with black. The hinder wings are 

 almost similarly variegated. 



The common copper butterfly (Lycsena Phloeas). 

 In every part of our island, and on the adjacent con- 

 tinent, this pretty butterfly is tolerably abundant ; it 

 extends lo Asia, and occurs also in North America. 

 It is light, quick, and active in its movements ; and 

 makes its appearance in June, July, and August. 

 The anterior wings, which are not indented at the 

 edge, are of a rich copper colour, spotted with 

 black, and broadly margined with the same. The 

 hinder wings are brownish black, with a copper 

 band posteriorly, spotted along tlie margin with 

 black. Under surface of the wings paler. This 

 species is subject to considerable variations of 

 colour. 



From the butteiflies we may now pass to the 

 sphinx or hawk moths, the Crepuscularia of 1a- 

 treille, the Sphingidie of most British entomo- 

 logists. 



Fig. 3717 represents — 1, the death's-head hawk- 

 moth (Acheronia tropos) ; 2, the eyed hawk-muth 

 (Smerinthus ocellatus); 3. the privet hawk-moth 

 (Sphinx Ligustri) ; 4, the poplar hawk-moth (Sme- 

 rinthus Populi) ; 5, the hornet moth (Specia apifor- 

 mis) ; 6. the humming-bird moth (Macroglossa 

 Stellatarum) ; 7, thtj golden-tail hawk-moih (Tro- 

 chilium cynipilbrme). 'J'he hawk-moths are remark- 

 able for their size, and the extent of their ante- 

 rior or upper wings, which are extremely vigorous, 

 and well adapted for rapid flight. Their progression 

 through the air resembles that of a hawk, whence 

 their appellation. 



The caterpillar is naked, cylindrical, always with 

 sixteen feet, and mostly with a dorsal horn or taper 

 appendage near the extremity of the body ; the sides 

 of the body are almost invariably marked with ob- 

 lique stripes. The remarkable attitude which the 

 caterpillars of the hawk-moths often assume, resem- 

 bling that of the fabulous sphinx of the ancients, 

 suggested to Linnaeus the scientific term (genus 

 Sphinx, Linn. ; family Sphingidae, Auct.) by which 

 they are still denominated. In order to undergo 

 their transformation, and assume the pupa state, 

 these caterpillars descend to the ground. The pupa 

 is naked and conical, and often furnished with a 

 detached horn extended beneath the breast, con- 

 taining the spiral proboscis, which in some species 

 is of extraordinary length. Some hawk-moths, how- 

 ever, have it short, and in the pupa of those species 

 this horn is wanting. We may here observe, that 

 there' is an interesting connection between the 

 length of the tongue, or spiral proboscis, and the 

 rapidity of flight, which merits attention. Such 

 species as have this organ of great length, hover 

 over tubular flowers, extracting the honey from the 

 deep nectary, which they are thus enabled to reach ; 

 and here again we are reminded of the humming- 

 bird with Its long suctorial tongue. 



The caterpillars of some species are capable of 

 elongating and contracting the three anterior seg- 

 ments of the body in a very curious manner, as we 

 observe in the proboscis of the elephant. These 

 caterpillars undergo their transformation in a cocoon 

 within a folded leaf on the ground ; the majority, 

 however, descend to a considerable distance into 

 the earth, and form an oval cell, where they assume 

 the pupa state, to issue forth a perfect insect. 



The death's-head hawk-moth, or bee tiger hawk- 

 moth (Acheronta atropos), Sphinx atropos, Linn. 

 This magnificent species appears to be distributed 

 over our island, and Europe generally ; its singularly 

 marked thorax and the shrill sound it emits have 

 rendered it an object of terror with the superstitious, 

 and to the evil influence of these dreaded hawk- 

 moths, which happened to make their appearance in 

 great numbers in Brittany during the prevalence of 

 an epidemic raging at the time with violence, the 

 excessive mortality was popularly attributed. 



This hawk-moth is a notorious despoiler of bee- 

 hives ; it not only robs the combs of the honey, but 

 scatters the terrified bees in every direction. It is 

 indeed very strange that, without sting or shield, and 

 with no advantage except that of size and courage, 

 this moth should be capable, singly and unassisted, 

 of contending successfully with a horde of sting- 

 armed insects, and driving them from their fortress. 

 The death's-head hawk-moth varies fioin four to 

 five inches in the expanse of its wings. The upper 

 pair are brown varied 'with black. The disc is 

 marked with undulating lines of black and ferru- 

 ginous patches, and powdered with white. Hind 

 wings fulvous orange, with a narrow ccntial and a 

 broader indented bar running parallel with the 

 hinder margin. Head and thorax brownish black, 

 the latter with a large pale skull-like mark on the 

 back. : 



The eyed hawk-moth (Smerinthus ocellatus). 

 Sphinx ocellatus, Linn. 



This beautiful species is widely distributed through 

 England, but is rare in Scotland; on the Continent 

 it is abundant. It makes its appearance in May. It 

 varies in the expanse of its wings from two inches 



and three-quarters to three inches and three-quar- 

 ters. The lore-wings aie of a pale rosy ash, va- 

 riegated with pale chocolate-brown and undulated 

 niarks of dusky. The hind wings jre of a rost-- 

 pink, shaded oi lo grey on the margin, and niarKed 

 near the inner angle with a large black spot, with 

 a pale blue ocellus, the middle being of a slaty 

 black. ' 



The privet hawk-moth (Sphinx ligustri). This 

 elegant moth is by no means uncommon, vaiymg in 

 the expansion of the wings from three inches and a 

 half to nearly five inches. The fore-wings are of an 

 ashy colour tinged with roseate, and shaded and 

 maibled with dusky brown. The hind-wings are of 

 a pale rose-colour, daiker at the base, with three 

 black bands ; the sides ol the thorax are ashy white, 

 the back black. The caterpillar feeds on the privet, 

 lilac, elder, ash, &c. I'he moth appears in June or 

 July. 



The poplar hawk-moth (Smerinthus populi), 

 Sphinx populi, Linn. This species is very common, 

 occurring in England and the south of Scotland. 

 Its expansion of wings is often more than lour 

 inches. The upper wings are of a delicate lilac 

 grey, with undulations of brown. The base of the 

 hinder wings is broadly ferruginous. The body pale 

 lilac grey. The males have the markings of Iht 

 wings deeper than the females. The caterpillar is 

 pale green, sprinkled with minute white tubercles: 

 the spiracles and membranous feet are reddish; 

 oblique lateral lines pale yellow. The food of the' 

 caterpillar consists of the leaves of the willow-poplar 

 and aspen : the moth appears from the end of June 

 to the middle of August, and sometimes as late as 

 September. 



"The hornet-moth (Sphecia apiformis). This small 

 but very beautiful moth is of a biownish black : the 

 head and palpi are orange-coloured ; the thorax 

 has a large orange patch on each side in front, and 

 two ochre patches on the disc behind. 'liie 

 abdomen is ringed with orange and black. The 

 wings are narrowly edged with ochre-brown ; bu't 

 everywhere else transparent, like the wings of a wasp 

 or hornet. 



The caterpillar is thick and whitish, and feeds upon 

 the wood of the trunks of willow and aspen trees, to 

 which it often occasions great damage. The pupa 

 is elongated and of a dark chestnut cuJour ; tiiis stage 

 is assumed in April, and the perfect insect is pro- 

 duced at the end of June. 



The humming-bird moth (Macroglossa stellata- 

 rum). Of this interesting species three broods ap- 

 pear every year, namely, in April, June, and Sep- 

 tember, and .specimens have been laktn as late as 

 Christmas; indeed it is probable thai some occa- 

 sionally live through the winter. "This moth," 

 says Mr. Curtis, " in the winged stale frequents 

 gardens, flying in the sunny weather between the 

 hours often and twelve in the morning, and those 

 of two and four in the afternoon. Its food is the 

 nectareous juice of tube-bearing flowers. This it ex- 

 tracts with amazing address by the assistance of its 

 exserted spiral tongue, inimitably poising itself all 

 the while on rapidly vibrating wings, whence its 

 name of humming-bird. It is delightful indeed to 

 an entomological eye to behold and contemplate the 

 dexterity exhibited by this charming insect whilst it 

 sails, all gaiety and grace, round the tall sprig of a 

 larkspur, or other flower, probing to the very bot- 

 tom every single tube, neglecting none, and trying 

 no one twice."' Fortunately the species is by no 

 means of rare occurrence in nearly eveiy part of the 

 kingdom, so that opportunities of observing it are 

 not uncommon. 



The expansion of the wings of this moth is nearly 

 two inches ; they are of a dusky brown colour, witll 

 waved transverse bars of black. The hinder winw 

 are orange-coloured. The body is varied with yel- 

 low and black. 



The caterpillar is dark ^reen, with a dusky line 

 down the back, and a white lateral longitudinal 

 line. Legs yellow. 



The golden-fail hawk-moth (Trochilium cynipi- 

 lbrme), Sphinx chrysorrhoea, Donov. This is a small 

 species, and by no means common. It is of a blue- 

 black colour; on the head is a white strijje, and the 

 collar and palpi are yellow. The Ihoiax has a 

 yellow stripe on each side, and the breast a yellow 

 spot; the abdomen has a yellow mark at the base, 

 and three yellow bands, the last of which is double 

 in the male. The wings, which are transparent, like 

 those of a gall-fly, have Ihe veins and margin* 

 brown, glossed with blue and fulvous, and a trans- 

 verse, lunate, central spot of orange margined with 

 black on the outside. Legs yellow. 



The caterpillar is whitish, with a brown head and 

 is found under the bark of the oak and birch. The 

 insect appears in June. 



From the sphinxes, or hawk-moths, we pass to the 

 true moths, remarkable for their full plumage and 

 blended tones of colouring. To enter into analysis 

 of Ihe several families into which these insects are 

 divided (and the same observation applies to the 



