158 MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. 
edges, and the moths are sluggish in their habits, flying only by night, 
and then in a vague and uncertain manner, contrasting greatly in this 
respect with the strong, direct flight of most of the species of the 
Larva of Smerinthus. 
family. The larve are usually green in color, and their skin is rough 
and granular, giving it a hard sandpaper-like feeling. The trans- 
formations are passed in the ground. 
Smerinthus geminatus. 
Our beautiful little Smerinthus geminatus is not a rare imsect, and 
may often be taken with the collector's lamp in July. The upper 
wines are gray with a faint rosy cast, and are crossed by lines and 
bands of olive and rich velvety brown. The thorax is also gray, with 
a large triangular patch of dark brown occupying the middle. The 
lower wings are rich carmine margined with gray, with a large black 
spot located near the inner angle of the wing, in which are two bluish- 
purple spots. The larva of this insect lives on the leaves of the apple, 
plum, willow and ash, and is green in color with yellow stripes on 
the sides. Its skin is covered with fine white granules, and it has a 
triangular head. The pupe of this species may often be found in 
connection with that of the following, in the soil at the roots of ash 
and willow trees. 
