218 SPHINX. 



caterpillar from which this curious Sphinx pro- 

 ceeds is in the highest degree beautiful, and far 

 surpasses in size every other European insect of 

 the kind, measuring sometimes near five inches 

 in length, and being of a very considerable thick- 

 ness: its colour is a bright yellow, the sides mark- 

 ed by a row of seven most elegant broad stripes 

 or bands, of a mixed violet and sky-blue colour: 

 the tops of these bands meet on the back in so 

 many angles, and are varied on that part with 

 jet-black specks: on the last joint of the body is 

 a horn or process, not in an erect position, as in 

 the preceding kinds, but hanging or curving over 

 the joint in the manner of a tail, having a rough 

 or muricated surface and a yellow colour. This 

 caterpillar is principally found on the potatoe and 

 the jessamine, those plants being its favorite food. 

 It usually changes into a chrysalis in the month 

 of September, retiring for that purpose pretty 

 deep under the surface of the earth; the complete 

 insect emerging in the following June or July; 

 but some individuals are observed to change into 

 chrysalis in July or August; and these produce 

 the complete insect in November; so that there 

 appear to be two broods or annual races. The 

 Sphinx Atropos is generally considered as a very 

 rare insect, and as the caterpillar feeds chiefly 

 by night, concealing itself during the day under 

 leaves, &c. it is not often detected: yet, from 

 some singular circumstances favourable to its 

 breed, there are some seasons in which it is even 

 plentiful, as in the autumn of the present year 



