SCALE WINGS. 17 



And much larger than the hind wings 



Of the Hawk Moths or Sphingina. 



The male Bombycina often 



Fly about in open daylight, 



Often also m the nighttime, 



But not seeking honeyed flowers, 



Only looking after females, 



Which are always slow and sluggish, 



Heavy bodied, often wingless. 



Next them come the Noctuina, 

 DuU and dingy in their colours, 

 With antennae mostly threadlike. 

 Thin and tapering to the summit, 

 But sometimes they are serrated, 

 Slightly serrated or sawlike ; 

 They have tubes for sucking flowers, 

 And are very fond of sucking, 

 As we often see, my Laura, 

 When we spread the moistened sugar, 

 Or the sweet and sticky treacle, 

 On the tree trunks to attract them ; 

 Wings of moderate dimensions. 

 When the insect rests, deflected 

 Or else folded round the body ; 

 Fore wings hiding ail the hind wings, 

 Which are slightly folded lengthwise, 

 And in hue have small resemblance 

 To the colour of the fore ^\-ings, 



