52 PLATE XCI—XCII. 
The Sphinx Euphorbia, confidered as a native of this country, is 
without exception the rareft fpecies of the genus we have: and if we 
omit the Sp. Porcellus, Lineata, Atropos, with a very few others, we 
have no indigenous fpecies that can by any means be compared with 
it as a rare, or, we may add, beautiful Infect. 
Drury has given a figure of the Sphinx without its changes among 
his rare Infeéts, but as a native of a foreign country: and before the 
time of Harris it was frequently an object of difcuflion among Aure- 
lians, whether it ever had been taken in England; Harris in his 
work, expreffes himfelf thus, “It has been long in difpute whether 
“ the Spotted Elephant was a native of this ifland; but it is now paft 
“< a doubt, as I have had the good fortune to find a Caterpillar of this 
“ Moth in marfhy ground at Barnfcray, near Crayford in Kent, about 
“ the middle of Augu/? *; it was better than three inches long, of a 
«¢ dark brown colour; the horn at the tail part, which was about half 
“ an inch long, appeared long and gloffy. ‘The head was nearly the 
“ fize of a {mall pea, of a lightifh yellow, brown, or tan colour. I 
“¢ tried various herbs to bring it to feed, but my attempts were fruit- 
“ lefs, and it died for want+. The Chryfalis in the plate was fent 
“ me from Belleifle in France; and the Moth was produced from it 
“© about the beginning of Fune.”—Harris’s Aurelian, plate 44. 
We are not informed of more than two fimilar circumftances that 
may place its exiftence in this country beyond difpute; a damaged 
{pecimen of the Fly has been taken at Bath, and is in our cabinet ; 
and Mr. Curtis, author of the Flora Londinenfis, 8c. found four of 
the Caterpillars laft fummer in Devonfbire. 
In the Caterpillar ftate it frequently changes its fkin, and appears 
as frequently to alter its appearance; we cannot elfe account for the 
difimilarity that prevails among all the coloured reprefentations of the 
Infect in that ftate that have come under our infpection; in Reefel’s: 
Hift. Inf. we find a figure of the Caterpillar apparently in the Jaft fkin, 
* 1778. } It feeds on plants of the Exphorbia genus, as its fpecificmame 
indicates. 
