8 



heart. The abdomen is yellow, but red toward the anus. The inferior wings are of a golden 

 yellow spotted with black. The female moth is seen flying at (g g), the upper one of which 

 shews the under side, which is much like the upper ; the male is seen at (Ji) ; they fly in the day. 



The caterpillars may be found on banks which face the rising sun, where they feed on nettles, 

 chick-weed, &c. ; they are brown and covered with hair ; the head and eyes are red. When full 

 fed, which happens about the end of April, they make a large spinning, wherein they change 

 into a black chrysalis ; the moths appear 'about the middle of May. They continue during the 

 winter in the caterpillar state. 



Expansion of the wings 2 — %\ inches. 



SMERINTHUS OCELLATUS. THE EYED HAWK-MOTH. 





Plate V. fig.a- 



Synonyms. Sphinx Ocellata, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. 796. 

 pi. 8. Wilkes Eng. Moths, pi. 24. 

 Smerinthus Ocellatus, Latreille, Stephens. 

 Moths, pi. 3. fig. 1. 



Donovan Brit. Ins. 8. pi. 269. Albin Ins. 

 Curtis Brit. Ent. pi. 482. Duncan Brit. 



Upper Side. The antennae are of a buff colour, and armed with little teeth, like a saw, on 

 the outer side. The head and thorax are of blooming ash colour ; but on the upper part of the 

 latter is a large spot, of a deep chocolate colour. The superior wings are of an ash colour, in- 

 clining to a pink, handsomely clouded with olive brown. The abdomen is brown ; the inferior 

 wings are of rosy red toward the thorax, but toward the fan edges of a light and pleasant brown : 

 the abdominal corners are remarkable for having a spot on each, formed like the eye of a bird, 

 composed of a large black spot, in which is a ring or circle of blue about the size of a pea. 



The moth is shewn at (i) in its natural posture when at rest, and at (K) for the under side. 

 The caterpillar is green, and about three inches long, having a blueish horn at the tail j the head 

 is triangular, and the body frosted all over like shagreen, on each side are seven oblique stripes of 

 pale yellow : it feeds on willow, and is full fed about the beginning of September, when it goes 

 into the earth and changes to the chrysalis ; and the moth appears the latter end of May. The 

 eggs are green, and are fixed by the parent to the branches and leaves ; and the young caterpillars, 

 which are also green, appear in about ten days after they are laid ; see the figures (e) and (a). 



Expansion of the wings 2| — 3| inches. 



This moth is often infested with a small brown caterpillar covered with hair, several of which 

 I have taken out of the abdomen while the moth has been alive, and in seeming good health : 

 they have six feet, and in form as seen at (k) ; they change into a nympha, in which they remain 

 about eighteen days, then produce the beetle, seen at (m), [which is the Dermestes lardarius, Linn. 

 Syst. Nat. ii. 561, and all other authors.] 



This insect is abundant in all the southern parts of the country, but is of great 

 rarity in Scotland. In the Magazine of Natural History (No. 54) is contained a 

 statement by P. J. Brown. Esq., that females of this insect, as well as S. populi and 

 Arctia Caja, had been known to produce fertile eggs without any connexion with 

 the male. 



The insects of this genus differ materially in their habits from the larger Hawk- 

 moths, being much more sluggish, and flying but slowly. This peculiarity is in 

 evident connexion with the weak conformation of the spiral tongue, which is very 

 short, and consequently unfitted for being introduced into long-lobed flowers. 



