THE HUMMING-BIRD SPHINX. 2,0 



other purplish red, varying much in different speci- 

 mens, being sometimes almost brown ; both are 

 covered with minute white specks, which are dis- 

 posed in regular order over every part, except the 

 belly. 



Every caterpillar is furnished with a posterior 

 horn, which is blue from the base for more than half 

 its length, the tip being of a bright orange colour. 



The chrysalis, which is of a yellowish brown at 

 first, changes to a more dusky colour before the 

 transfonnation of the Sphinx. 



The caterpillars feed on several kinds of plants, 

 but seem chiefly to prefer those of the gallum genus, 

 particularly the white, {palustre,) or the yellow, 

 \ccrum,) and cleavers, or goosegrass, {aperine.) 

 They go into the ground about the latter end of 

 August, where they change into the chrysalis, and 

 remain immured till nearly the end of April or May 

 in the following year. 



The Humming-bird Sphinx is i-ather a scarce 

 insect ; it sometimes visits gardens in the winged 

 state, and may be seen flying rapidly from flower to 

 flower, extracting their nectar by darting its long 

 tubular proboscis into them. It is from this peculi- 

 arity, and its hovering over the flowers at the same 

 time, like the humming-birds when they feed, that 

 it has acquired its English appellation. 



This Sphinx is found in most parts of Europe, but 

 it appears more frequently in the northern countries. 



VOL. II. <^ 



