328 



THE NATURALIST. 



In the neiglibourliood of Portsmoutli I noticed it commonly in September. 

 JSTear Barnstaple it was also numerous. I take the following from my journal 

 dated 30th September, 1865, : — " The abundance of Cynthia Cardici, 

 Macroglossa stel'jiiarum, and Plusia gamma, this season in the neighbour- 

 hood of Barnstaple, and indeed by all accounts throughout the country, is 

 remarkable. While walliing through a large clover field to day, the latter 

 species rose by thousands and the air swarmed with them. This field is 

 situated on a hill, and looking over the brow towards the horizon it appeared 

 as if it was literally raining moths. C. cardui, was also very common in this 

 field sucking the nectar from the purple clover flowers, while every now and 

 then a golden C. edusa mingled with tlae throng. M. stellatarum I noticed 

 by dczens at a time on our lawn, flying principally before the flowers of the 

 verbena, scarlet geranium and fuschia. Sunday the 1st October, I sauntered 

 out on the lawn, early before breakfast, Avhile the dew was on the grass and 

 the f owers smelt fresh and fragrant. In a large rustic basket, scarlet gera- 

 niums were in profuse bloom. Picking a bunch' I held them in my hand 

 and stood perfectly still, as there were several humming-bird moths feeding 

 busily at the time, and I wished to see if my nosegay would attract them. I 

 had not long to wait for presently one of these pretty Hawk moths ap- 

 proached and hovering in front of me proceeded deliberately to rifle each 

 flower of its sweets, introducing its long spiral tongue into flower after flower, 

 and so close Avas it to my face that I could distinctly feel the wind produced 

 by the rapid vibrations of its wings. This certainly is one of the most 

 interesting Lepidoptera we possess. Who would imagine such an aerial 

 being was the produce of a green crawling caterpillar, feeding a month ago 

 on some neighbouring plant of Galium ? On oiu- lawn, growing out of an 

 old rotten moat is a large standard fuschia which was much frequented by 

 M. stellatarum. and next to this is a standard pink thorn now covered thickly 

 with bright red berries. I often saw these moths fly from the fuscliia to the 

 berries andhover before several ere they discovered their mistake. This proves 

 that they are guided by sight and not by smell in seeking for their food." 

 During Il^i ovember Cardui and stellatarum were abundant at Malta, and I 

 have seen many of the former species in ragged attire still on the wing 

 here, at Corfu^ where it is now cold at nights.— My father writing to me, 

 dated, 8th October, observes : — " On Thursday afternoon, while passing a 

 garden we saw on thi'ee or four large plants of Michaelmas daisy about a 

 hundred painted ladies sitting as thick as they could, they were all bright and 

 fresh, and looked beautiful in the sun. Did you ever hear of such a number 



