82 WOODLANDERS AND FIELD FOLK 



or day-flyers. Their bodies are thicker, their wings 

 narrower and more strongly nerved. As they settle 

 themselves on corrugated bark or grey stones to their 

 deep, diurnal sleep, their sober and inconspicuous 

 colouring invariably saves them even from detection. 

 In many species this daily trance is so profound that 

 a slumbering insect may be transfixed and never 

 detect the occurrence until twilight again comes 

 round. But if the closely-folded upper wings are 

 quiet and sober in colouring this is only for protective 

 reasons; for brilliant toilets are presented when 

 twilight falls and affords its dewy veil. Under the 

 closely-folded wings of dusky grey are bright bodices 

 of red, scarlet, crimson, and orange. What an 

 admirable chapter " The Loves of the Night-Flyers " 

 would afford by one who had fondly watched the 

 fairy things through the dewy hours of a short 

 summer night. 



The twilight-flyers afford a distinct class to the 

 night-flyers, and have several well-marked character- 

 istics. They are termed hawk-moths, and have long, 

 sharp, scythe-like wings. The death's-head moth, 

 the largest and most interesting British species, 

 belongs to this group. It seldom comes abroad 

 before darkness has fallen, and is always conspicuous 

 in its nocturnal flight. Linnaeus following his 

 habitual system of nomenclature placed this insect 

 in the " sphinx " family on account of the form of its 



