THE DEATH-HEADED MOTH. 307 



they commence their ravages, destroy them, and repair the 

 damage which has been committed." 



Lombard suggests a singular method of destroying the 

 wax moth; which is, to place an old hive filled with combs 

 in the apiary, to which tbe moths will repair, from an in- 

 stinctive sense of personal safety ; the older the hive, the 

 better. We have tried this experiment and to our cost. 

 Having a small apiary at Peckham, and knowing that the 

 neighbourhood was much infested with the wax moth, we 

 placed in it an old hive, according to the instructions of 

 Mr. Lombard. The moths were not long before they took 

 possession of it, but we found that instead of remedying the 

 evil, we had sadly aggravated it. The moths increased 

 wonderfully in the old hive, for it was a comfortable nursery 

 for them ; and if they had confined themselves to the old 

 hive, we would have left them in quiet possession of their 

 domicile, but in a very short time, we found that they had 

 extended their visits to every one of the hives, and on turn- 

 ing up one of them, the moths issued out in such numbers, 

 that they resembled a swarm of bees. We hurried away with 

 the hive into the stable-yard, and we were glad to see the 

 poultry devour every one, which had not taken to its wings. 



The death-headed moth, {Sphinx atropos, Linn. *) is a great 

 enemy to the bee, but it is so rare in this country, that 

 it scarcely deserves being mentioned. In some climates, 

 however, it is considered as a most redoubtable enemy, for 

 according to Lombard and Huber, it not only robs the bees 

 of their provisions, but the very sight of it frightens them 

 to death. Mr. Lombard, speaking of this moth, says, the 

 art, which the bees employ in averting the attacks of this 



» A beautiful specimen of this insect, which is so rare in England, was 

 lately caught on the estate of Mrs. Calverley Bewick, at Close House, near 

 Newcastle, and was presented by that lady to the Entomological Society of 

 that town. At its capture, it emitted that shrill and plaintive sound, which 

 has been described by the-French naturalists, but which has generally been 

 considered as fabulous. 



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