640 



THE LIME HAWK-MOTH. 



during the time of their Donage, and is frequently found to be infested 

 with the ichneuraon-fiy. 



The beautiful Scarlet Admiral, so well known by the broad scar- 

 let stripes that are drawn over the wings, the Large and Small Tor- 

 toise-shell Butterflies, the Comma Butterfly — so called from a 

 comma-shaped white mark under the wings — and the rare and beauti- 

 ful Camberwell Beauty, are all British members of this genus. 



The second great division of the Lepidoptera is that of the Moths, 

 distinguishable by means of the pointed tij^s of their antennae, which are 



often furnished with 

 ^^ a row 01 projections 



on either side, like 

 the teeth of a comb, 

 and in the males are 

 sometimes supplied 

 with branching ap- 

 pendages. 



The first family 

 of the Moths is 

 the Sphingidffi, a 

 group which con- 

 tains a great num- 

 ber of swift- wing- 

 ed insects, popular- 



--ii " ^ /^ ■'y ^^^ appropri- 



rtj \i^^^^^ ^i^^ ately called Hawk- 



moths, from the 

 strength and speed 

 of their flight. In 

 many instances the 

 proboscis is of great length, sometimes equalling that of the entire 

 body, and in such instances it is found that the insect is able to feed 

 while on the wing, balancing itself before a flower, hovering on trem- 

 ulous wmg, and extracting the sweets by suction. 



One of the commonest species of this genus is the Lime Hawk-moth 

 [Smermthus Tilke), so called because the larva feeds on the leaves of the 

 hrae tree. It is a green caterpillar, thick-bodied, covered with little 

 protuberances, and upon each side are some whitish streaks edged with 

 red or yellow. Just at the end of the tail there is a short knobby pro- 

 tuberance, and the fore part of the body is rather narrow. Wh^n the 

 arva has completed its time of feeding, it descends to the ground and 

 buries itself about eight inches deep in the earth, whence the chrysalis 

 may be extracted by the help of a trowel. Besides the lime, the elm 

 and birch are favored residences of this insect. 



The Peacock Butterfly ( Vanessa To). 



P 



