90 The Colours of Animals. 



of the flowers, that, in spite of its size, it can 

 scarcely be perceived unless the eye be focussed 

 exactly upon it. 



10. The Oleander Hawk-moth is also an inter- 

 esting case. Many of the Hawk-moth caterpillars 

 have eye-like spots, to which I shall have to allude 

 again presently. These are generally reddish or 

 yellowish, but in this species, which feeds on the 

 periwinkle, they are bright blue, and in form as 

 well as colour closely resemble the blue petals of 

 that flower. One other species, the Sharp-winged 

 Hawk-moth, also has two smaller blue spots, with 

 reference to which I can make no suggestion. It 



Ms a very rare species, and I have never seen it. 

 Possibly, in this case, the blue spots may be an 

 inherited character, and have no reference to the 

 present habits. They are, at any rate, quite small. 



11. No one who looks at any representations of 

 Hawk-moth caterpillars can fail to be struck by 

 the peculiar colouring of those belonging to the 

 Pine Moth, which differ in style of colouring from 

 all other sphinx larvae, having longitudinal bands 

 of brown and green. Why is this ? Their habitat 

 is different. They feed on the leaves of the 

 pinaster, and their peculiar colouring offers a 

 general similarity to the brown twigs and narrow 

 green leaves of a conifer. There are not many 

 species of butterflies or moths which feed on the 

 pine, but there are a few : and most, if not all of 

 them, have a very analogous style of colouring 



