=~" 
THE HAWK-MOTHS OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK 
CITY. 
By WititiaM BEvuTENMULLER, 
Curator of the Department of Entomology. 
Family Sphingide. 
THE members of the family of Sphingidze are commonly 
called ** Hawk-Moths” on account of their powerful and rapid 
flight and their beak-like proboscis. Some of the species are also 
called Hummingbird Moths, owing to their peculiar habit of 
hovering lke a hummingbird over flowers while drawing up 
nectar with their long proboscis. Some species fly during mid- 
day in the hot sunshine, while others fly late in the afternoon 
and at night. 
The moths have long, narrow fore wings, with an oblique, 
excavated or scolloped outer margin. The hind wings are much 
shorter, with the outer margin entire, the anal angle usually pro- 
duced and the apex rounded or pointed. 
The head is usually clothed with smooth scales, or has a tuft 
between the antennze. The eyes are hemispherical, and as a 
rule lashed with hairs in front above. The proboscis is well 
developed in most of the species, and is nearly as long as or 
longer than the body. When not in use the organ is curled up 
like a watch-spring, between the palpi. The antennz are 
fusiform, ciliate in the male and simple in the female, and with 
the tip more or less bent into a hook. In some species the 
antennz are club-shaped, with a few short, bristle-like hairs 
at the tip. 
The thorax is well developed, either with the vestiture smooth, 
or with the posterior portion with erect scales, or with the an- 
terior portion with an elevated tuft. 
The body usually is long and graceful, with the segments 
gradually tapering. Some species are provided with a more or 
less entire fan-like tuft at the end of the body. 
The eggs are green, smooth, oval or oblong oval. They are 
usually laid singly, on the under sides of a leaf, and the young 
3 
