402 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



dulating bands of a lighter colour, the posterior ones 

 yellow, set off with a transverse wavy black band 

 about the middle of each, and a broader one parallel 

 to it near the margin, elegantly scalloped between the 

 nervures. Abdomen of the same colour as the hind 

 wings, with a longitudinal stripe of blue down the 

 middle, and transversely banded with black. But the 

 most distinctive specific character of this fine insect is 

 that from which it has received its name, the figure on 

 the back of its thorax more or less suggestive of the 

 human skull. 



Of the Convolvulus Hawk Moth (Sphinx Ligustri), 

 we once captured a solitary very much battered speci- 

 men, and about the same time we saw in the posses- 

 sion of a gentlemen at Petersfield an enormous dark 

 brown caterpillar similar to one figured, as that of the 

 moth in question, in "Wilks' English Moths and 

 Butterflies."* 



The Privet Hawk Moth (Sphinx Ligustri) is a 

 common insect with us, scarcely a season passes but 

 we meet with it in one or other of its stages, and 

 we have found the caterpillars generally distributed 

 wherever there is a supply of privet or lilac. The 

 Small Elephant Hawk Moth (Cluzrocampa Porcellus], 

 and the Large Elephant Hawk Moth (Charocampa 

 Elpenor\ both eminently beautiful insects, we have 

 bred from the caterpillar. On one occasion we found 

 several caterpillars of the latter species feeding on the 

 Clarkia pulcliella in the flower garden, an exceptional 

 case no doubt, as our native specimens are generally 

 contented with more humble fare, although they are 

 said to evince an occasional weakness for the fuchsia. 



The most interesting members of this family, though 

 not the most lively in coloration, are the Humming 

 Bird Hawk Moths, and we imagine that very few of 

 the least observant of our cottagers, who have access 



In 1875 we obtained another battered specimen of the 

 perfect insect from a village within a few miles of Harting. 



