52 PLATE XCI.-XCII. 



The Sphinx Euphorbi*, conndered as a native of this country, is 

 Without exception the rareft fpecies of the genus we have : and if we 

 omit the Sp. Porcellus, Lineata, Atropos, with a very few others, m 

 have no indigenous fpecies that can by any means be compared with 

 it as a rare, or, we may add, beautiful Infect. 



Drury has given a figure of the Sphinx without its changes among 

 his rare Infects, but as a native of a foreign country: and before the 

 time of Harris it was frequently an objeft of difcuflion among Aure- 

 lians, whether it ever baa been taken in England; Harris in his 

 work, expreffes himfelf thus, « It has been long in difpute whether 

 « the Spotted Elephant was a native of this ifland \ but it is now paft 

 « a doubt, as I have had the good fortune to find a Caterpillar of this 

 « Moth in marihy ground at Bamjcray, near Crayford in Kent, about 

 « the middle of Augujl * ; it was better than three inches long, of a 

 " dark brown colour ; the horn at the tail part, which was about half 

 « an inch long, appeared long and glofly. The head was nearly the 

 « fize of a fmall pea, of a iightifh yellow, brown, or tan colour. I 

 " tried various herbs to bring it to feed, but my attempts were fruit- 

 « lefs, and it died for want f . The Chryfalis in the plate was fent 

 « me from Belleijle in France ; and the Moth was produced from it 

 « about the beginning of June."— Harris's Jurelian, plate 44. 



We are not informed of more than two fimilar circumftances that 

 piay place its exiftence in this country beyond difpute; a damaged 

 fpecimen of the Fly has been taken at Bath, and is in our cabinet ; 

 and Mr. Curtis, author of the Flora Londinenfis, he. found four of 



the Caterpillars laft fummer in Devon/hire. 



In the Caterpillar ft ate it frequently changes its fkin, and appears 

 as frequently to alter its appearance ; we cannot elfe account for the 

 difiimi'arity that prevails among all the coloured reprefentations of the 

 Infect in that flate that have come under our infpecSrion ; in Rcefel's 

 Hift. Inf. we find a figure of the Caterpillar apparently in the laft fkin, 



* 1778. -J- It feeds on plants of the Euphorbia genus, as its fpeclfic name 



Indicates, 



that 



