HAWK-MOTHS. -S19 



fore part of the body, and remain immovably fixed in this 

 posture for hours together. In the winged state, the true 

 Spliinges are known by the name of humming-bird moths, 

 from the sound which they make in flying, and hawk-moths, 

 from their habit of hovering in the air while taking their 

 food. These humming-bird (r hawk moths may be seen 

 during the morning and evening twilight, flying with great 

 swiftness from flower to flower. Their wings are long, 

 narrow, and pointed, and are moved by powerful muscles, 

 to accommodate which their bodies are very thick and ro- 

 bust. Their tongues, when uncoiled, are, for the most part, 

 excessively long, and with them they extract the honey from 

 the blossoms of the honeysuckle and other tubular flowers, 

 while on the wing. Other Sphinges fly during the daytime 

 only, and in the brightest sunshine. Then it is that our 

 large clear- winged Sesia3 make their appearance among the 

 flowers, and regale themselves with their sweets. The 

 fragrant Phlox is their especial favorite. From their size 

 and form and fan-like tails, from their brilliant colors, and 

 the manner in which they take their food, poised upon 

 rapidly vibrating wings above the blossoms, they might 

 readily be mistaken for humming-birds. The JEgerians are 

 also diurnal in tlieir habits. Their flight is swift, but not 

 prolonged, and they usually alight while feeding. In form 

 and color they so much resemble bees and wasps as hardly 

 to be distinguished from them. The Smerinthi are heavy 

 and sluggish in their motions. They fly only during the 

 night, and apparently, in the winged state, take no food, 

 for their tongues are very short, and indeed almost invisible. 

 The Glaucopidians, or Sphinges with feathered antennae, 

 fly mostly by day, and alight to take their food, like many 

 moths, which some of them resemble in form, and in their 

 transformations. The caterpillars of the Sphinges have six- 

 teen legs, placed in pairs beneath the first, second, third, 

 sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and last segments of the body ; 

 all of them, except the ^gerians and Glaucopidians, have 



