432 The Natural History of Selborne 



About this time, and for a few days last past, I observed the 

 leaves of almost all the oak-trees in Denn copse to be eaten and 

 destroyed, and, on examining more narrowly, saw an infinite number 

 of small beautiful pale green moths flying about the trees ; the 

 leaves of which that were not quite destroyed were curled up, and 

 withinside were the exuviae or remains of the chrysalis, from whence 

 I suppose the moths had issued, and whose caterpillar had eaten the 

 leaves. MARKWICK. 



EPHEMERA CAUDA BISETA. MAY-FLY. 



JUNE 10, 1771. Myriads of May-flies appear for the first time 

 on the Alresford stream. The air was crowded with them and the 

 surface of the water covered. Large trouts sucked them in as they 

 lay struggling on the surface of the stream, unable to rise till their 

 wings were dried. 



This appearance reconciled me in some measure to the wonderful 

 account that Scopoli gives of the quantities emerging from the rivers 

 of Carniola. Their motions are very peculiar, up and down for 

 many yards almost in a perpendicular line. WHITE. 



I once saw a swarm of these insects playing up and down over 

 the surface of a pond in Denn Park, exactly in the manner described 

 by this accurate naturalist. It was late in the evening of a warm 

 summer's day when I observed them. MARKWICK. 



SPHYNX OCELLATA. 



A VAST insect appears after it is dusk, flying with a humming noise, 

 and inserting its tongue into the bloom of the honeysuckle ; it 

 scarcely settles upon the plants, but feeds on the wing in the 

 manner of humming-birds. WHITE. 



