13 



THE OCELLATED SPHINX. 



Sphinx Ocellata. 

 PLATE LXII. 



Sphinx Ocsllata, Linn. Syst. Nat.'n. p. 796. Donovan's 



Brit. Ins. via. pi. 269 Harris 1 Aurelian, pi. 5, fig. 



G. H. Albin, pi. 8, fig. 2. 



As an example of its genus, the Ocellated Sphinx 

 is probably one of the most elegant which is produced 

 in Great Britain. The upper wings and body are of 

 a beautiful reddish brown ; the lower wings, at their 

 insertion, are of a deep carmine, gradually softening 

 off till it becomes of a pale rose colour, terminating 

 in a citron yellow at their bases. Towards the margin 

 on each wing is a large circular spot, like an eye, 

 black in the centre, surrounded with a ring of deep 

 ultramarine blue, quite iridescent, changing to the 

 most beautiful pale cobalt blue, and the whole sur- 

 rounded by a black fillet. The caterpillar is of a 

 willow-green colour, and generally feeds on willows. 

 It arrives at its full size towards the beginning of 

 August, when it buries itself in the earth, and changes 

 into a chrysalis of a bistre colour. About the first 

 week in June following, it emerges, in the form of 

 the perfect sphinx. 



