166 NATURAL HISTORY. 



the wings transparent, with brown borders. The cater- 

 pillar one inch and a half in length, foul white, with a 

 red-brown head ; lives on the poplar, mostly near the 

 root ; undergoes its change in the earth, making a cell 

 of sand and bits of sticks ; very destructive to poplars. 



Broad Bordered Bee Hawk Moth (sesia puciformis) 

 has glassy wings, changing from blue to red ; at the base 

 olive-green and bordered with a band of brownish-red ; 

 the body terminated by a tassel of hairs. The cater- 

 pillar is yellowish-green above, reddish-violet below, with 

 the posterior horn curved ; lives on dwarf cherry-trees, 

 scabiosa, etc., and when ready for the transitionary state 

 makes a perforated web on the ground and changes into 

 a dark brown pupa. 



3. BUZZERS. 



The bodies are hairy, feelers straight; wings very 

 long and spread horizontally ; flight quick, and attended 

 with a humming noise, as they flutter about in the twi- 

 light, extracting honey from flowers with their large pro- 

 bosces. The caterpillar smooth and thick, have the pos- 

 terior horn ; their metamorphosis is accomplished in the 

 earth. 



The Humming Bird Moth Dove-tail (sphinx stel- 

 latarum) may be seen towards evening hovering around' 

 flowers, sucking their sweet juices with its long trunk ; 

 the upper wings are gray-brown, with three transverse 

 stripes, the lower dull orange. The tail bearded and 

 forcated. The caterpillar two inches long, red-brown or 

 yellow-green, dotted white below, with a stripe on the 

 sides ; lives on the madder plant, bed straw, etc. ; under- 

 goes its transformation in the summer, either free or in 



