SPHINX. 217 



into the chrysalis state, in the month of August or 

 September, and in the following June appears the 

 complete insect. 



But the largest and most remarkable, if not the 

 most beautiful European insect of this genus, is 

 the Sphinx Atropos of Linna?us, which very con- 

 siderably exceeds in size both the species already 

 mentioned. The upper wings are of a fine dark 

 grey colour, with a few slight variegations of dull 

 orange and white : the under wings are of a bright 

 orange-colour,' matked by a pair of transverse 

 black bands: the body is also orange-coloured, 

 with the sides marked by black bars, while along 

 the top of the back, from the thorax to the tail, 

 runs a broad blue-grey stripe: on the top of the 

 thorax is a very large patch of a most singular 

 appearance, exactly representing the usual figure 

 of a skull or death's head, and is of a pale grey, 

 varied with dull ochre-colour and black. When 

 in the least disturbed or irritated, this insect emits 

 a stridulous sound, something like the squeaking 

 of a bat or mouse, and from this circumstance, as 

 well as from the mark above-mentioned on the 

 thorax, is held in much dread by the vulgar in 

 several parts of Europe, its appearance being re- 

 garded as a kind of ill omen, or harbinger of ap- 

 proaching fate. We are informed by the cele- 

 brated Reaumur that the members of a female 

 Convent in France were thrown into great -con- 

 sternation at the appearance of one of these in- 

 sects, which happened to fly in during the evening 

 at one of the windows of the dormitory. The 



