THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



213 



shelter of a farmer's house, leaving their 

 rods outside the door. On coming away 

 one of the rods was found lying on the 

 ground a dozen yards away from the resi- 

 dence, and the line had run out completely 

 and was jerking violently. The ov/ner 

 searched to see what had occured, and to 

 his great surprise he found that a ravenous 

 hen had devoured the worm impaled on the 

 hook, and then proceeded to " play itself." 

 The bird was captured, and the line was cut 

 as near the hook as possible, but the hook 

 itself could not be removed. It did not, 

 however, appear to inconvenience the hen, 

 which devoured Indian meal after the 

 occurrence. — Coiii Constitiction. 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



By John E. Robson. 



SPHINGINA. 

 The British species of this family are 

 are divided into five genera by Dr. Stan- 

 dinger, but there appears to be sufficient 

 distinction between Deilepliila and dice- 

 rocampa, to warrant both being retained. 

 Mr. Stainton includes Macroglossa and Sesia 

 with the next family. Mr. Doubleday's 

 arrangement, which includes both in this, as 

 Macroglossa, seems more natural and is 

 followed here here. The following table is 

 partly taken from Stainton's Manual, which 

 is not easy to improve upon. 



1. Antennas not terminating in a minute 

 bristle ; hind margin of forewings angu- 



lated. I. S.MERINTHUS. 



2. Antennae terminating in a minute bristle; 

 hind margin of forewings not angulated. 



A. AntennjE and tongue short ; abdomen 

 very thick. II. Aciierontia. 



B. Antenna! moderately long, tongue very 

 long, hind wings rounded at anal angle. 



III. SrHiN.x. 



C. Antenna: and tongue moderately long ; 

 hind wings with projection at anal 

 angle. IV. Deilepuila. j 



D. Imago as in Deilepliila ; larvae with the 

 anterior segments retractile, and with 

 two or more ocellated spots on the sides. 



V. Ch.'^rocampa. 



E. Abdomen with a broad tuft ; wings 

 sometimes only partially scaled. 



VI. Macroglossa. 



Genus I.— SMERINTHUS. 



" Smerinthus, Lat., Smcyin'thus, a thread, 

 or fishing line ; perhaps from the lateral 

 stripes on the larva:." — A.L. 



This genus contains only three British 

 species, and only one or two more occur in 

 Europe. The British species are all of 

 large size, expanding three inches or more. 

 They may be easily recognized from each 

 other by the following table. 



I. Forewings irregularly mottled. 



a. Hind].wings;'with a distinct eyed spot 

 at the anal angle. i. Ocellatus. 



b. Hind wings with brick red patch at 

 the' base. 2. Populi. 



II. Fore wings with a distinct olive green 

 central fascia. 3. Tilia. 



The larvae are green, roughened with 

 raised spots or warts, which are generally 

 lighter in colour than the ground ; there are 

 seven oblique pale stripes on each side, and 

 a horn on the twelfth segment, pointing 

 backwards. 



The pupa are all subterranean, and with- 

 out any cocoon. 



I. OCELLATUS. 

 The Eyed Hau'k-Moih. 



" Ocellatus, L., Ocella'tus, ocellus, an eye ; 

 from the eye-like spots on the wings. "-A.L, 



Imago. — Pinkish brown, clouded and 

 mottled with darker brown. Hind wing 

 rosy at the base, fading into yellowish 

 brown at the hind margin. At the anal 

 angle is a large eyed spot, with black centre, 

 surrounded by silvery blue, and enclosed 

 in a black ring. 



Larva. — Pale bluish green, and covered 

 I with small whitish warts. There are seven 



