10 GENUS SPHINX. 



Some of the smaller species are to be met with during 

 day, although they are much more rarely seen than 

 butterflies. 



This tribe feeds on the nectar of flowers, which 

 they extract with their long flexible tongues. 



The caterpillars have sixteen feet, and are mostly 

 very active in their habits ; those of the Linnaean 

 division, called Zyg&nte, are thick, fat, and covered 

 with short hairs ; those of the Sesus are generally 

 smooth, unarmed, and thinner towards the head ; the 

 others have usually a sharp, erect, stiff horn behind. 

 The pupae are quiescent ; those of the Zyg&nce folli- 

 culate, and a little tapering forwards ; the rest naked 

 and smooth ; those of the Ses'us pointed at each end 

 of the others, very obtuse behind ; and many of the 

 species spin their cocoons under ground, making them 

 up with small particles of earth and grains of corn, 

 interwoven with silky filaments. 



The caterpillars of some of the sphinges, more 

 particularly that of the Privet Hawk Moth, when in 

 a state of repose, hold firmly with their fore legs the 

 branch on which they are standing, and erect the 

 anterior part of their body so as to form nearly a 

 right angle with the posterior, and remain motionless 

 in this singular attitude for hours. By this means 

 they elude observation, and may be taken for the 

 twig of a tree. It is mentioned by Reaumur, that a 

 (gardener in the service of Jussieu, the celebrated 

 botanist, used to be much annoyed at the appearance 

 of these caterpillars ; he conceived that the self- 

 sufficient air which they manifested indicated much 



