zio COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



WE now come to a very common and interesting 

 insect, well known by the popular and appropriate 

 name of HUMMING-BIRD MOTH {Macroglossa stella- 

 larum). 



The colours of this insect are anything but brilliant 

 or - conspicuous, and yet it is a very pretty Moth. 



The upper wings are brown, 

 with a few slight black 

 mottlings, and the lower 

 wings are warm chrome 

 yellow, with a narrow edg- 

 ing of black. Beneath, it 

 is coloured much like the 

 lower wings, but the hue is 

 duller. The thorax and 

 abdomen are of the same 

 colour as the upper wings, but the latter has some 

 black and white spots along the sides, which are 

 covered with tufts of black and white hair, which are 

 spread during flight. There is a tuft of black hair at 

 the end of the abdomen. 



The caterpillar feeds chiefly on the Bedstraw 

 (Galium\ and, but for the characteristic horn at the 

 end of the body, would scarcely be taken for the 

 larva of a Hawk-Moth. Its colour is greenish brown, 

 sometimes taking a pink tinge, and there are two 

 lines along the sides, one pink and white, which 

 reaches to the base of the horn, and the other dull 

 brown, beneath the lighter line. 



Sombre as is the colouring of this insect, I really 

 do not know any Moth which is more interesting to 

 the spectator. Fortunately, it flies by day, and, like 



