298 DESIGNS OF NATURE 



but soon became relaxed and animated by the 

 warmth of the hand : thus they probably remain 

 quiet during the winter months, but revive in 

 spring, and recommence their ravage in the tree. 

 The caterpillar of this moth I believe to be the 

 largest of any of those of the British lepidopterse ; 

 and when full fed exceeds in size that of the death's- 

 head sphinx. To those who dislike the appearance 

 of things of this nature, it is particularly disgust- 

 ing ; not only from its magnitude and smell, but 

 from its colour, which is a lurid red, so compounded 

 with a dingy yellow, as to give it a lividness of 

 look, conveying the idea of something raw. Com- 

 mon as the grub is in some years, I have seldom 

 been able to obtain the moth^ without the often 

 tedious process of feeding the larvae, and waiting 

 for its change. 



Of those caterpillars which feed upon the foliage 

 of vegetation^ a considerable portion are picked off 

 and consumed by the numerous little birds which 

 are constantly hunting after them, as food for them- 

 selves or their young ones; and many of those 

 which are supported by the roots of plants, and 

 remain covered in the soil, are detected by the per- 

 ception of rooks, and birds of that order; but those 

 which feed upon the internal parts of trees seem 

 exempted from any of these causes of destruction. 

 This is possibly a reason that the larvae of phala?na 

 cossus is so plentifully found ; but yet it is pretty 



