11 



37 



The caterpillars are of two sorts, some green, others brown. They feed on many different 

 kinds of herbs, particularly ladies-bedstraw. The different coloured caterpillars are seen at (/) 

 and (g) : the chrysalis is shewn at (K) : the upper side of the moth is described at (i), and the 

 under at (I). 



Expansion of the wings two inches. 



" The Humming-bird Hawk-Moth," observes the author of the Journal of a 

 Naturalist, " visits us occasionally in some numbers ; frisking about all the summer 

 long, and in very fine seasons continuing with us as late as the second week in October. 

 The vigilance and animation of this creature are surprising, and seem to equal those 

 of its name-sake, that splendid meteoric bird of the tropics, that " winged thought," 

 as some one has called it ; though our plain and dusky insect can boast none of its 

 glorious hues. Our little sphinx appears chiefly in the mornings and evenings of the 

 day, rather avoiding the heat of the mid-day sun ; possibly roused from its rest by 

 the scent, that aromatic soul of flowers, which is principally exhaled at these periods; 

 delighting in the jessamine, marvel of peru, flax, and such tubular flowers, and it 

 will even insert its long flexible tube into every petal of the carnation, to extract the 

 honey-like liquor it contains. It will visit our geraniums and green-house plants, 

 and whisking over part of them with contemptuous celerity, select some composite 

 flower that takes its fancy, and examine every tube with rapidity ; hovering over its 

 disk with quivering wings, while its fine hawk-like eyes survey all surrounding 

 dangers. The least movement alarms it, and it darts away with the speed of an 

 arrow, yet returns, and with suspicious vigilance, continues its employ, feeding always 

 on the wing. Nature seems to have given this creature some essent^l requisites for 

 its safety ; its activity, when on the wing, renders its capture difficult, and when it 

 rests it is on a wall, the bark of a tree, or some dusky body that assimilates so nearly 

 to its own colour as to render it almost invisible, though watched to its settlement, 

 and the larva is seldom found. We sometimes see it enter our doors, attracted by 

 flowers in the open windows ; but it seems to be immediately aware of its danger, 

 disappears in an instant, and is safe from capture. Wild and fearful as this creature 

 is by nature, yet continued gentle treatment will remove much of its timidity, and 

 render it familiar to our presence. Perfectly free from any annoyance, as they are 

 when ranging from sweet to sweet on my borders, and accustomed to a close inspec- 

 tion of all their operations, I have frequently touched their wings with my fingers 

 while hovering over a flower, and, dipping their long tubes into the corolla of a gera- 

 nium ; they would retire, a little confused with such freedoms and interruptions, but 

 experiencing no harm, they would return and finish their meal, unmindful of such 

 petty annoyances. I have known this creature, like some other insects, counterfeit 

 death when apprehensive of danger ; fall on its back and appear in all respects devoid 

 of life when in a box, and as soon as a fit opportunity arrived, dart away with its 

 usual celerity." 



