PART II 

 MOTHS 



PLATE XVIII 



THE EYED HAWK MOTH (i and 2) 



The " hawk moths " are so called because their 

 flight is so swift and strong, very much like that 

 of a hawk. Most of them come out soon after 

 sunset on warm summer evenings, and you may 

 often see them hovering in front of such flowers 

 as honeysuckle, and verbenas, and petunias, with 

 their long trunks poked deeply into the blossoms 

 in order that they may suck up their sweet juices. 

 But if you move in the very least they dart away 

 at once, so quickly that you cannot even tell in 

 which direction they have gone. 



The Eyed Hawk is one of the most beautiful 

 of these grand moths. You can easily see why 

 its name was given to it, for the big spot on 

 each of its hind-wings is very much like the 

 "eyes" on a peacock's tail. The caterpillar is 

 pale green in colour, with a very rough skin, 

 and with seven white stripes on each side of 

 its body, and a curved blue horn upon its tail. 

 You may often find it feeding on the leaves of 

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