182 FAUNA OF GALASHIELS AND DISTRICT 



PoLYOMMATUs Artaxerxes, the Scotch brown Argus, is a 

 much rarer butterfly than the last one, although in 

 some seasons it is fairly common here. The caterpillar 

 feeds on the wild Strawberry and the Eock-rose. 



Hesperia SYLVANU8, the large skipper, is one of the rarest 

 of our butterflies, and there are few districts in Scot- 

 land from which its capture is recorded. One was 

 taken up the EUwyn many years ago, and this is the 

 only recorded instance of its capture here. 



Lyc^ena alsus, the little blue butterfly, once taken at EUwyn. 



LIST OF MOTHS. 



Sphinxes and Bombyces. 



Acherontia atropos, the death's-head moth, from the figure 

 of a skull on the top of the thorax. It is a veiy scarce 

 moth here, only a few specimens having been tiiken in 

 a good number of years. It measures five inches across 

 the wings, and is a very pretty insect. Although at 

 no place common, it is very generally distributed 

 throughout Europe, and is one of its largest moths. 

 The caterpillar, which is an equally pretty object, feeds 

 principally on the leaves of the Potato. 



Sphinx convolvuli, the unicorn hawk-moth, is slightly less 

 than the preceding moth, and is also rather rare in 

 the district. It is another fine insect, and makes its 

 appearance in July. It frequents gardens, and may be 

 seen occasionally hovering over beds of Phlox or 

 Petunia. It is sometimes fairly abundant in certain 

 districts, and the larvpe feed on the lesser Convolvus or 

 Bindweed. 



Smerinthus populi, the poplar hawk-moth, is a common 

 insect in this locality, and measures nearly four inches 

 from tip to tip of its wings. The perfect insect appears 

 in June, and the larvae, which feed on different species 

 of Poplar, are to be got in July and August. 



