INSECT ACTORS 113 



with the bees hovering over the Azalea and 

 Rhododendron bushes in several parts of the 

 country. In the Rhododendron Walk in the 

 New Forest these moths are fairly common, 

 and it is a charming sight in early June, when 

 the dark-leaved shrubs are a mass of fragrant 

 blossoms, to watch them hovering over the 

 flowers. At first sight it is difficult to distinguish 

 the moths from the bees they imitate, but they 

 may be detected by their different mode of flight 

 and greater length of antennae. 



The Hornet Clear-wings (7! apiforme and T. 

 crabriforme) copy the Hornet in their appearance ; 

 they may be found in June in many parts of 

 England, on the trunks of poplar trees and 

 willows, and are so remarkably hornet-like that 

 few people would care to handle them. 



The Humming Bird Hawk Moth is fairly 

 common in England, and,, may be seen in many 

 parts of the country in July and August sucking 

 up honey from the flowers with its long pro- 

 boscis. A species of Hawk Moth common in 

 South America is so wonderfully like the 

 humming-bird in shape, colour, and mode of 

 flight that they cannot be distinguished when 

 on the wing. The naturalist Bates gives the 

 following interesting description of this moth 

 in his book, "The Naturalist on the River 

 Amazon " : " Several times I shot a Humming 

 Bird Hawk Moth instead of a bird. This moth 

 (Macroglossa Titan) is somewhat smaller than 

 the 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 



