LEPIDOPTEEA. 209 



the contrary, that nature can people every hour; that it was 

 her will to console them for their sadness, to grant to the twilight 

 and to the night the same winged wanderers which are at once 

 the delight and the ornament of the hours of light and of day. 

 This is the mission of science, to dissipate the thousands of 



Fig. 193. Death's-head Hawk-moth (Acherontia atropos). 



prejudices and dangerous superstitions which mislead ignorant 

 people. 



This moth has the front wings of a blackish brown colour, having 

 lighter irregular bands varied with brown and grey, above and 

 below. On the middle of the front wing there is a well-defined 

 white dot. The hind wings have two black bands, the upper 

 narrower than the lower one ; the rest of the wing is a fine yellow. 

 The abdomen has likewise from five to six yellow and as many 

 black bands ; in the middle is a long blackish longitudinal band. 

 This moth is not very rare, and may be found in autumn. Its 

 flight is heavy, and as we have said, the insect never flies till 



p 



