Sphinx. LEPIDOPTERA. 137 



The Sphinges fly either early in the morning, 

 or after fun-fet in the evening , they fly as it 

 were heavily and fluggifhly, often emitting a 

 kind of found. They fuck the nectar of flowers 

 with their tongues, though they feldom fettle 

 upon them : moil of them undergo their meta- 

 morphofis in the earth •, their chryfalids are ob- 

 tefta t but inclofed in a kind of covering, or 

 web, compofed generally of courfe materials, in 

 which particular they differ entirely from the 

 preceding genus, the chryfalids belonging to 

 which are naked, and fufpended in the open air. 



The bodies of moft of their caterpillars are 

 fmooth, or without hair, and have a horn or 

 fpine fituate above the anus ; that, however, of 

 the Sphinx Filipendulte Linn. No. 34, wants this 

 horn, as GeofTroy has obferved ; for which rea- 

 fon that author has feparated it from the other 

 fpecies, that infect alone compofing his third 

 family : his two others are diftinguifhed by their 

 having or wanting tongues •, the antennas of 

 thefe two laft-meationed families, he fays, are 

 prifmatic, but throughout of equal thicknefs, 

 thofe of the Sph. Filipendulae, on the contrary, 

 are much larger in the middle than towards their 

 extremities. 



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