526 THE HUMMING-BIRD HAWK-MOTH. 



of an elephant, a faculty which has earned for another insect the name of elephant 

 hawk-moth. 



This species is very rare in this country, probably because the plant on which the 

 caterpillar feeds does not belong to the British flora. It has, however, been captured on 

 one or two occasions. The caterpillar is greyish green except the four first segments, 

 which are pale yellow, and along each side runs a streak of white. On the sides alone 

 are seen those oblique streaks which are found in so many of the caterpillars belonging 

 to this family. The colour, however, changes considerably with the period of growth, so 

 that while at one time it takes the colouring above-mentioned, at another it is almost 

 uniform yellow, and at another becomes quite dark. The white stripe along the sides, 

 however, always retains its place. 



The general colour of the nioth is olive-green, streaked and shaded with rose-colour, 

 grey, and white. As is unfortunately the case with many brightly coloured insects, the 

 Oleander Hawk-moth is very apt to fade if exposed to the light, and if the cabinet in 

 which it is placed be not carefully darkened, the delicate green is sure to take an 

 unpleasant dusky hue. The expanse of wing is about four inches. 



ALTHOUGH not gifted with the brilliant hues which decorate so many of the Hawk- 

 moths, the HUMMING-BIRD MOTH is a more interesting creature than many an insect 

 which can boast of treble its dimensions and dazzling richness of colour. This insect 

 may be readily known by its very long proboscis, the tufts at the end of the abdomen, and 

 the peculiar flight, which so exactly resembles that of the humming-bird, that persons 

 accustomed to those feathered genus have often been deluded into the idea that England 

 actually possesses a true humming-bird. 



Its flight is not unlike that of the horse-flies. Balancing itself upon wings that 

 quiver with such rapidity that their outline is hardly distinguishable, this moth hovers 

 before any flower that may take its fancy, and plunging its long tongue into the deepest 

 recesses of the blossom, extracts the sweet contents without needing to alight. Indeed, 

 the whole of its flight is a strange mixture of apparent vagueness and swift accuracy, as 

 it darts hither and thither with such lightning speed that the eye can scarce follow its 

 course, ever and anon poising itself so that the body remains as still as if pinned to the 

 spot, while, the whirring wings are scarcely visible. I have lately seen one of these moths 

 surveying the whole extent of a new brick wall, but after watching it for a long time, 

 could not make out what might be its object. 



Owing to this arrowy flight and the piercing vision with which such flight is always 

 accompanied, the capture of the moth is a matter of no small difficulty, and when it 

 settles, the quiet sober hues of its plumage render it so similar in colour to the objects on 

 which it rests, that the eye can hardly distinguish its outiine ; and, being gifted with an 

 instinctive appreciation of the objects best suited for its concealment, it is sure to alight 

 on some surface which presents hues akin to those of its body and wings. 



The caterpillar of this moth is of a pale green colour, with a whitish stripe along the 

 side, and sprinkled with numerous little white spots. On its tail it has a short and sharp 

 horn, the tip of which is of an orange yellow colour. It feeds on many plants, preferring 

 those of the stellate order, and from that circumstance the moth derives its specific name 

 of stellatarum. The Galeum. seems to be its favourite plant. 



The moth is seldom seen during the hot hours of the day, but comes from its place of 

 concealment in the early morning and towards evening, and as it has a curious custom of 

 frequenting gardens and cultivated grounds, affords many opportunities for observation. 

 It is bold as well as cautious, as if aware of its marvellous powers of flight, and will even 

 enter greenhouses in search of some blossom that may have taken its fickle fancy. 



The colour of the upper wings is dusky brown, with a few blackish waved bars, and 

 that of the under wings brownish yellow, with darker edges. The abdomen is nearly of 

 the same colour as the upper wings, and the segments are decorated with tufts of black 

 and white hairs at the sides. The spread of wings is rather under two inches. 



IN the curious moths of which the HYLAS is a good example, the wings are as 

 transparent as those of the bee tribe, and, indeed, the hymenopterous idea seems to run 



