98 INSECTS, 



arm runs along the hind-margin of the wing to the thorax. The hind-wings, 

 thorax, and abdomen are green. ' The larva is green, with a pale band and 

 numerous white speckles on the sides. The first three segments are suffused 

 with yellow, and the third bears a large bilobate blue spot, outlined with black, 

 on either side. The moth occurs throughout Europe, Africa, and Southern Asia ; 

 but neither larva nor perfect insect are often taken in England. The caterpillar 

 feeds on the oleander and periwinkle in summer. Another beautiful, though small 

 species, is the elephant hawk-moth (Choerocampa elpenor), which typifies a third 

 subfamily (Chcerocampince). In this species the front-wings are green, margined 

 and veined with delicate rose-colour; the hind -wings black, with rose-coloured 

 borders ; the thorax and abdomen of the same tint of green, with a central rose- 

 coloured band along the back, another at the sides ; while the two last segments of 

 the abdomen are rose-coloured. The larva is black, with three eye-like spots at 

 the sides of segments three, four, and five, which are much enlarged, having also a 

 rose-coloured band along the sides. It feeds on fuchsia, bed-straw, willow-herb, etc., 

 and is common in Europe and Northern and Western Asia in June. To the same 

 subfamily belong the members of the genus Deilephila, which have a world-wide 

 distribution, although specially common in Southern Europe ; among these, one 

 of the commonest on the Continent being the spurge hawk-moth (J), euphorbice). 

 Although the adult is rare in England, the caterpillar has been observed in some 

 numbers in Devonshire, feeding on the sea-spurge. The fore-wings are grey and 

 rose-colour in blended tints, with a large dull-green spot at their base, and an 

 oblique submarginal band of the same colour, besides two smaller crescent-shaped 

 spots towards the tip ; the hind- wings delicate rose, with black base, a deep crimson 

 transverse bar, followed by a narrower black one a little beyond the middle ; and 

 the thorax and abdomen green, the latter with white sides. The caterpillar is black, 

 speckled with yellow, having a dorsal rose-coloured central line, a row of yellow 

 spots along either side, and another below of red and yellow spots blended. It 

 feeds on the sea-spurge from July to September. In the figure on p. 96 the larva is 

 repelling the attack of an ichneumon, by ejecting noxious fluid into its face. 



The pine hawk -moth (Sphinx pinastri) belongs to the typical subfamily 

 (Sphingince), and is a dull grey species, scarcely to be discerned as it rests on 

 the similarly tinted bark of the pine-trees on which the larva feeds. The moth 

 lays her pale green eggs upon the pine-needles, and in about a fortnight the larvae 

 emerge, and at once attack the needles. They have occurred in such abundance 

 on the Continent as to ruin whole forests of pine-trees, to the extent of many 

 thousand acres. Although the moth is common throughout Europe, and several 

 specimens have been taken in England, it is very doubtful whether a genuine 

 British-bred specimen has ever occurred. The larva, which changes to a pupa 

 beneath the earth, is green, with narrow longitudinal bands of red and white ; 

 these lines being naturally a great protection amidst the longitudinal lights and 

 shades of the pine-needles. The species is figured on p. 77. 



Yet another subfamily (Macroglossincc) is represented by the humming-bird 

 hawk-moth (Macroglossa stellatarum), shown in the figure on p. 93. This small 

 and swift species, which hovers with a darting, fluttering course over flower-beds 

 in the sunshine, is double-brooded, and occurs almost all the year round. It has 



