556 THE SWALLOW-TAILED MOTH. 
hind feet, stretch out the body nearly horizontally, and remain in that 
position for hours. Some slight idea of the :auscular force required to 
perform this action may be imagined by grasping an upright pole with the 
hands, and trying to hold the body out horizontally. Several of these cater- 
pillars are of dull brown hues, and being furnished with sundry projections 
in different parts of their bodies, they resembie dried sticks so closely that 
they can hardly be distinguished from the branches to wnich they cling. 
The SWALLOW-TAILED MOTH is a well-known British species, very 
common in woods, and being mostly found among the underwood, whence 
it may be dislodged by beating the branches. The caterpillar teeds on 
many shrubs, but prefers th. willow the lime and elder trees, the elder being 
SWALLOW-TAILED MOTH.—(Oxvapteryx sambucaria.) 
its chief favourite. Two specimens of the caterpillar are given for the ' 
purpose of showing its attitudes while at rest and while walking after the 
looper” manner. The cocoon is also shown, made of withered leaves, and 
hanging from an ivy twig 
_ The colour of the larva is reddish brown, with some dark longitudinal 
lines, and before it changes into the pupal state it makes a slivht silken 
cocoon among leaves. The colour of the wings is delicate sulphur yellow, 
fading to shining white at the base of the wings, and diversified with narrow 
streaks of brown. : 
THE family of the Hyponomeutide contains many beautiful species, none 
of which are of great size, but which, when magnified and a strong light 
\wrown upon them, seem to be amongst the loveliest of the moth tribes. 
