14 



BKITISH MOTHS. 



is, they have a row of very short bristles all 

 along one side very short indeed so short 

 as hardly to be seen without a magnifying 

 glass ; the wings are narrow and transparent ; 

 the body long, and banded with white, yellow, 

 orange, or bright red belts, and they generally 

 have a tuft of hairs at the tail, which is spread 

 out like a fan when the insect is hovering 

 over a flower ; the legs are long, and hang 

 down like those of a gnat when the insect is 

 flying. Our young readers are requested to 

 observe that in our description of these 

 Moths, we say nothing about the hind wings, 

 because they are all so much alike quite 

 transparent, with black rays and black mar- 

 gin. 



17. The Rod-belted Clearwing (Sesia Myopaformis). 

 17. THE RED-BELTED CLEAUWLNG. Fore 

 wings transparent, with a broad black tip and 

 a black bar a litile beyond the middle ; thorax 

 and body black, the latter having a bright-red 

 belt just about the middle. The caterpillar 

 feeds in the solid wood of pear trees, and in 

 the more slender branches of apple trees. We 

 have seen between sixty and seventy in a 

 piece of pear-tree wood about three inches 

 long. The caterpillar feeds all the year ; the 

 Moth is common in gardens in May, June, 

 and July. (The scientific name is Sesia 

 Myopa/ormis.) 



18. The Large Red-Belted Clearwing (Sesia Culici- 

 f or mis). 



18. THE LA.BGE RED -BELTED CLEABWING. 

 Pore wings transparent, with a broad black 

 tip and a black bar a little beyond the middle, 

 nod some very delicate bright-red markings 



at the base ; thorax and body black, the 

 latter with a bright-red belt about the middle. 

 The caterpillar feeds on the wood of birch- 

 trees, preferring the stumps of trees that have 

 been cut down; it feeds all the year: the 

 Moth is only to be found in May and June. 

 This and the preceding are very much alike, 

 but this may be immediately distinguished by- 

 the minute red marks at the base of the fore 

 wings : it is also the larger of the two. (The 

 scientific name is Sesia Culiciformis.) 



19. The Red-Tipped Clearwing (Sesia Formica- 



formis). 



19. The RED-TIPPED CLEA.RWING. Foro 

 wings transparent, with a broad red tip and a 

 black bar a little beyond the middle : thorax 

 and body black, the latter with a deep-red 

 belt about the middle. The caterpillar feeds 

 inside the twigs of osiers, and sometimes does 

 a good deal of mischief in osier-beds where 

 the twigs are grown for basket-making ; it 

 feeds throughout the autumn and winter : the 

 Moth appears about Midsummer. This Moth 

 also resembles a good deal the two previous 

 ones, but the red tip of the wing is an unmis- 

 takable character. The scientific name is 

 Sesia Formicceformis.} 



20. The Fiery Clearwing (Sesia Chrysidiformvt). 

 20. THE FIEET CLEA.EWING. Fore wings 

 with the costal and apical margins black : 

 there is also a black bar a little beyond the 

 middle ; the space between this bar and black 

 apex is bright orange-red, and the inner mar- 

 gin of the wing is of the same beautiful colour : 

 thorax and body black, the latter with two 

 narrow yellow belts near the tail ; the tail- 

 fringe black at the sides, and bright orange- 



