230 POPULAR ENTOMOLOGY. 



Lepidoptera. Sphingid^. 

 SPHINX. 



Generic Distinctions. — Antennce rather long and increasing in 

 thickness nearly to the apex, which is slender and hooked ; pro- 

 loscis very long, slender, and convoluted (rolled up) ; body long 

 and not tufted ; palpi three-jointed. 



Sphinx ligustei. (Plate XII.) Privet Hawk-Moth. 

 This fine insect sometimes measures upwards of four inches ; 

 the upper wings are ash-grey, slightly tinged with rose-colour, 

 and marked with black veins ; the hinder portion brown ; 

 the margin having two white lines, which unite near the 

 apex, on a greyish ground ; the surface of the inferior wings 

 is rose-colour, traversed by three black bands, that next the 

 base being short, and at right angles with the others, which 

 are parallel with the hinder margin; the thorax is dark brown 

 and white at the sides; the body, deep rose-colour, with 

 black bands, broken in the middle by a broad longitudinal 

 brown stripe, having a black line down the middle. The 

 caterpillar is very beautiful, being of a fine apple-green, with 

 seven oblique purple and white stripes on each side; the 

 horn is yellow and black ; it generally feeds on the privet. 

 The moth is not unfrequent in the south, and is seen occa- 

 sionally in Scotland. There is another very rare but beau- 

 tiful species, Sphinx pinastri. 



